A Poisonous Flower
by Carameltoff
Summary: Celosia Lestrange, the unfortunate daughter of Bellatrix, was an ordinary pureblood girl. But she got too close to her enemies, and love can make you do some dangerous things... Stuck in a family where death follows like a plague, how will she decide which side she's on? Features Bellatrix, Harry and many other Harry Potter characters.
1. A new member of the family

The burning pavements were hot enough to fry an egg on. Only a slight breeze disturbed the otherwise still, hot day. But despite the hot appearances, it was the middle of October. All across the country, hundreds of people were celebrating. It had only been a couple of months since the death of one of the most feared wizards in history. But where there are cheers there are bound to be tears. No silver lining comes without its cloud and no rose without its thorn. For one family, it was a very sad event. The Lestrange family. This was the day that both Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange were to go to Azkaban.

Celosia Lestrange was the only offspring of the couple. She was a small girl, now only one and a half years of age.

"Narcissa, you promise you'll look after her? You promise?"

"I've already said that I will, Bellatrix. I'm next of kin."

"And you'll bring her up as I've commanded?"

"Well, yes with a few alterations to fit the family. She'll be brought up just as Draco will be. She'll be brought up as a pureblood yes!"

"Good! Goodbye Narcissa. Remember, it's for the Dark Lord."

"Goodbye Bella."

The darker haired woman was guided off in the thick iron shackles that bound her wrists and soon sailed off in a boat made of murky grey wood into the horizon. Narcissa sighed and with a faint pop apparated home to her husband, son, and the newest addition to the family, her niece Celosia.

…..

As usual, every single face turned to look as Narcissa reappeared in the Malfoy Manor, all leaning to the edges of their frames to see the new arrival. And, as usual, every one of them turned back to what they were doing before the interruption. Narcissa strode across the vast Persian carpet and into the drawing room where her husband sat waiting for her, the only occupant at the huge long table, turning over playing cards absent-mindedly

"How did it go?" He asked when she placed her coat in an empty chair and sat herself down a couple of chairs away from him.

"Fine," she murmured, running her hands through her thin blond hair, "not that you care." She looked him in the eyes.

They looked at each other for a moment, and then he smiled, turning back to his cards. "I'm not going to pretend that I care, Narcissa. But I will ask how things went."

"Well you should care!" She snapped back at him, "It's her daughter that we're tied to for the rest of our lives!"

"Oh get rid of her!" Lucius said, with a wave of his hand.

"We can't Lucius!" Narcissa pushed, leaning towards her husband. "She's got nowhere else to go!"

"What about Lestrange's brother… what's his name, Rabastan?"

"He's in Azkaban too Lucius! Don't you listen?"

Lucius sighed, putting his head into his hands and Narcissa shuffled into the seat next to him.

"Look," She said soothingly, "even if this Celosia lives with us, what harm will it do? She's just a girl Lucius! And whether you like it or not she's family!"

Lucius sighed and lifted his head to look at his wife. "Alright, supposing this Caliso comes to live with us-"

"Celosia."

"Celosia. What are we meant to do with her?"

"Bring her up of course!"

"And we can do so however we wish?"

"Well," Narcissa wriggled in her seat, "Bella did point out some specifications…"

"See! I knew it!" Lucius sighed once again in a manner that quite irritated Narcissa.

"She wants her daughter to be brought up pureblood…" Narcissa began.

"Well of course, that's the way Draco is going to be raised. I would do the same with any pureblood child." Lucius said proudly.

"And she wants Celosia to visit her once every month."

"In Azkaban!" Lucius's head rose with a start.

"That's what she said…" Narcissa mumbled.

There was a pause, Lucius dropped his head and stared intently at an uninteresting spot on the table in deep thought. Eventually he lifted his head.

"Once every six months." he said.

"Bella won't like that…" Narcissa said cautiously.

"Bella doesn't have much of a choice." Lucius said, fighting back.

Narcissa sighed this time, and looked into her husband's eyes wearily.

"Ok then." She managed to say.

"It appears that we have a new member of the family."


	2. A question of Hogwarts

10 YEARS LATER

A thin boned house elf with tennis ball eyes scurried through the Malfoy Manor. Tripping over carpets and muttering under its breath "Stupid Dobby!" In its hand, numerous letters were held as well as they could be by such small hands. Clothed only by a greying pillow case, he scurried into the dinning room where Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy where having breakfast.

"Ah the post! Bring it here." Narcissa commanded bluntly whilst buttering toast.

"Any stuff from the ministry? Don't see why there should be… What about the news paper? Where is it?" Lucius mumbled through mouthfuls of croissants.

"Ah! The children's Hogwarts letters!" she said, fingering two letters with a grand seal on the front, "Draco, Celosia!" she called up the marble stairs.

"Hogwarts letters… Didn't we get those a while ago?" muttered Lucius.

"No! Those were the nursery introduction letters!" Narcissa whispered as the children thundered down the staircase.

"Oh… Doesn't seem that long ago…" he said as they entered the room, taking another bite of food.

"Shut up!" She hissed. "Draco! Celosia! Come here." She said to the children.

A boy and a girl stood fidgeting in front of Narcissa, both eager to get back to whatever it was they were doing upstairs.

The boy had startling blond hair, combed back into a rather mature hairstyle. Despite this he still looked his age and had blue eyes and very pale skin.

The girl however, had very dark, almost black, messy long hair down to her waist. This amount of hair on such a young girl did look somewhat ridiculous. Her skin what also pale, and looked even paler in comparison to her hair. Her face looked a lot like that of her mother, though a lot younger and more childlike. She appeared to have a permanent scowl etched onto her features.

Narcissa handed each child their letter and sat back at the table.

"Hogwarts." the boy read. "But we already knew we were going anyway! So what's the point of giving us a letter?" Draco moaned.

"Can I have some toast?" Celosia said, sliding in at the table beside her Uncle.

"I didn't choose to send the letter did I? Now go upstairs and read it." Narcissa said, hurrying her son out of the room.

"You've already had breakfast." Lucius said to his niece, who was buttering toast at an alarming rate.

"Yeah," she said with her mouth full," But not enough!"

"Your eyes are bigger than your stomach," he muttered, "That's your problem."

"Aren't you going to read the letter?" Narcissa said, indicated to the discarded letter.

Celosia shrugged. "I already know about Hogwarts. I still don't see why I have to go. The place is filled with mudbloods, and there are plenty of other wizarding schools around. Ones that my _friends_ are going to!" she emphasised.

"Your friends' parents might send their children to any old school they can find! But that does not happen in this family! We have a history at Hogwarts. We went there, your parents went there, and countless generations of our families have been there. And I'll be damned if you're going to be the exception!" Lucius ranted.

Celosia scowled even more than she already was and shoved another piece of toast into her mouth.

"You'll like it at Hogwarts!" Narcissa reasoned. "There are loads of good families that are going to be in your year! Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Blaise Zabini, Harry Potter."

Celosia nearly choked on the toast that she was eating and needed Lucius to pat her on the back before she could breathe again.

Narcissa went on with the list.

"Harry Potter!" Celosia cried.

"Blaise Zabini. How's his mother doing now?" Lucius asked, seemingly unaware of his niece's exclamation.

"_Harry Potter!_" Celosia cried again.

"Fine I think. Widowed again, but otherwise I think she's doing okay." Narcissa replied.

"_HARRY POTTER!_ You mean, the Harry potter?The boy who lived? The boy who vanquished the Dark Lord?" Celosia screamed.

"Celosia!" bellowed Lucius. "Don't ever call him that again! If you are to say his name again, say "He who must not be named". You could get us all in prison along side your parents!"

"It's what you call him!" Celosia reasoned.

"In _privet,_ Celosia. In _privet_ don't you understand that?"

"It's not like were not in privet now…" she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Before you ask again, _yes_ Harry Potter." Narcissa said. "He's the same age as you and Draco and is therefore going to Hogwarts this coming year. I don't want you to start a fight with him. That's the last thing we need. If fact, it's probably better if you try to make friends with him."

"Make _friends?_ Next you'll be asking me to take Draco to May dancing classes" Celosia muttered yet again.

"Celosia, please." Narcissa prompted. "Your mother would be proud."

"No she wouldn't." Celosia argued.

"You don't know that."

"My mother would tell me to do the right thing. And that's to rid him and all of his blood traitor filth of this planet for good!"

"That kind of attitude," Lucius said, raising his head, "is what will get you expelled from Hogwarts."

Celosia scowled again, her features pulling together in a deep frown.

"Fine." she eventually mumbled.

"There we are then!" Narcissa said brightly. "Call down Draco, I need a word. Celosia, you can go now."

Celosia stomped out of her seat and out of the room.

"Dobby, clear the dishes away." She ordered the shaky house elf.

"Yes miss. Will do miss." The nervous creature replied.

Celosia trooped upstairs and into her bed room, a red themed large room with drapes and cushions everywhere. It was designed by Narcissa, as was Draco's green one. However, her's was very different to his. It was a lot more feminine. A red velvet chaise longue stretched along the far side of the room. The window was decorated with red embroidered cloth from top to bottom. The bed was larger than need be and was a four poster. The floor was spotlessly clear. It wouldn't have been if it weren't for the fact that Dobby cleared it every day. Overall, the room could have been seen as far too mature for the young girl, though her aunt reasoned that she'd appreciate it in the future.

Celosia collapsed on the bed and looked deep into the rafters on the ceiling. It wasn't that she minded that much about going to Hogwarts. If there was one thing she was worried about, it was that she wasn't going to be able to see as much of her parents as she normally did. Azkaban wasn't the nicest of places to visit. But it was worth it. No, she wasn't scared of going to Hogwarts. In fact it might be better if she tried to look forward to it. Draco was going to be there after all, so at least she'd have someone. And she was sure she would make friends; there was no doubt about that. Who knew, she may even get along with that Potter. She'd just have to wait and find out.


	3. Diagon Alley

Diagon alley was bustling with noise and chatter by the time that the Malfoys arrived. They had been intending to arrive earlier, get what they needed from Diagon and make their way over to Knockturn as soon as the crowds began to form. As it turned out, Draco took a lot longer getting changed than expected (three hours more to be precise) and Celosia had spent a whole hour drawing a group of muggles being burnt at the stake.

When they finally managed to get everyone together to floo to Diagon Alley the place was packed. Most of the crowd was made up of soon to be first year Hogwarts students and their parents. All of whom formed humongous queues outside of various shops such as Olivanders.

The first shop the Malfoys found themselves at (due to the eager choice of Celosia) was the large pet shop located at the right hand side of the alley. The shop contained every pet from a guinea pig to a blast ended skrook. However, Celosia had made it very clear in the past that she wanted a black cat to take to Hogwarts.

Once she had passed over the threshold of the shop, Celosia ran over to the where to cats where kept. She eyed up the cats with wide eyes. A frown began to play across her features as she stared intently at the felines.

"None of them look special enough!" she moaned, turning to look up at her uncle.

"Well what do you expect them to do?" asked Draco, who was poking the cats through the metal of the cages beside her. "Stand up on two paws and tap dance?" He sniggered irritatingly at his own joke before running off to gawp at the snakes.

"Celosia, just choose one we don't have all day." Lucius sighed.

Celosia turned back to stare at the cats again, watching their orange eyes flick backwards and forwards around the room. It wasn't long before one cat made its way from the back of the crowded cage to stare at Celosia. Its sleek black fur shined in the dim light and its eyes stared intently at Celosia, one orange, one green. Celosia smiled. This was the kind of cat she wanted!

"I want that one!" she announced, pointing proudly at the heterochromic cat.

"Finally…" Lucius said, and turned to pay.

As soon as they were out the shop, Celosia decided she would name her new pet.

"Betria," she said, "that's a star you know. It means that she's special. Like all of the Black family. Like all purebloods."

"Yes Celosia…" her aunt responded, barely listening.

In short, Celosia couldn't wait to go to Hogwarts. She felt that learning magic was the only step left to achieving greatness. However, she was upset that her parents were not there to guide through Diagon Alley themselves…


	4. Visiting Hours

A week passed and Celosia had examined and fiddled with every object that the family had purchased in diagon alley. She had charmed her cat to turn its remaining orange eye grey making it her "Slytherin cat". Pleased with her handy work, Celosia was now left with nothing to do. So she thought about what her time at Hogwarts would be like…

She would be in Slytherin of course, and she'd have lots of friends, and lots of supporters. Supporters meant power, and Celosia was going to have power. She had been brought up pureblood, and therefore a natural leader. Her mother only taught her to follow one person: the Dark Lord.

For some reason, Celosia could not take her mind of the famous Harry Potter. The thought of meeting him thrilled her, and she had to admit that he was part of the reason that she was looking forward to Hogwarts so much.

It was getting on to late afternoon when Celosia was called downstairs. After practically tumbling down the marble staircase, Celosia saw Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa getting ready to go out.

"Oh, Celosia!" Narcissa exclaimed. "Why aren't you ready? I told you we had to visit your mother and father! They want to see you before you leave for Hogwarts!"

"Sorry…" mumbled Celosia as she threw on her cloak and boots.

They quickly departed by floo to the visitors area of Azkaban prison. It was unlike any other waiting room you would ever come across. Instead of the usual bustling and murmuring that normally accompanied waiting areas, there was an eerie silence. Dementors lurked in every corner, spreading gloomy and unhappy feelings across the room. Fortunately for Celosia, she had very few unhappy memories. Her worst was probably the day that a mudblood boy had beaten her at quidditch. However the dementors still made her feel gloomy.

"Visitors for the Lestranges please follow me." called a warden, dressed in murky green robes and holding a lantern in one hand.

The three visitors stood and made their way down the path they knew too well.

Draco preferred to stay behind on visits such as these. He hated the dementors and had a habit of crying as soon as he set foot in Azkaban. This infuriated Lucius on a regular basis.

Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange sat at a large rusting metal table as far apart from each other as they could possibly be placed.

"Try not to let them talk to each other." The warden said dryly. Every time this warning was issued, every time is was ignored by Celosia Lestrange.

"Hello!" She shouted over to them. She ran over to the table and sat down on one of the chairs directly opposite the two.

"Hello Celosia…" said her father, reaching over to touch her hand. This received many glares from the various wardens guarding the room.

"Celosia." began her mother. "Do you have everything you need for Hogwarts?" She said, staring her daughter in the eye.

"Yeah… but we're not allowed brooms so…"

"Wand?" asked her mother.

"Yeah, maple and dragon heartstring. 12 inch."

"Good. Now, when you're sorted, the Slytherin table will be the furthest on your right. Don't sit at the wrong table! It would be very embarrassing if you made that kind of a mistake on the very first day… in front on the entire school!"

"She won't…" grunted Rodolphus.

"I was just making sure!" hissed Bellatrix, whilst stroking the faded mark on her left lower arm. This was a habit she appeared to have picked up whilst in Azkaban. Celosia dismissed it as an unimportant sign of slight madness. Bellatrix was more than a little twisted before being sent to Azkaban, prison appeared to have done no favours for her sanity. "Everything else is in order, I trust?" she asked. This question was directed at her sister.

"Yes Bella." said Narcissa, a fond smile gently playing on her lips.

"Good to see you Rodolphus." said Lucius, nodding slightly.

Rodolphus grunted and nodded back.

"Bellatrix…" Lucius said hesitantly, with less pleasantness.

"Lucius..." Bellatrix said, her face set in a displeasing expression.

"If that's all then we'll leave you and Celosia to talk then!" Narcissa said as brightly as she could with the presence of the dementors affecting her mood.

Lucius and Narcissa could not have escaped quicker, and soon Celosia and her parents were left alone.

"Have you got a pet?" Bellatrix asked, breaking the slightly uneasy silence.

Celosia nodded. "A black cat. I named her Betria. After the star! She's got one green eye and… well, she did have one orange… but I changed that…" She said smirking.

Bellatrix smirked back. There was a silent pause in which Celosia looked down at her feet and appeared to be thinking.

"Harry Potter's going to be in my year." said Celosia, still staring at her feet.

Bellatrix's head twitched and her eyes widened in a slightly maddened stare. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

"Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa said I should try and be friends with him, not start any fights… but I don't know whether he'll be on our side or… be a blood traitor.

"Knowing his parents he'll be a blood traitor, and a filthy one at that! If I were going to that school, I swear I'd kill him! Then the Dark Lord could rise to power once again!" Bellatrix's face twisted into a cruel smile.

"But if he isn't?" asked Celosia.

"Then that may just be an advantage…" Bellatrix said thoughtfully.

Celosia couldn't wait to get to Hogwarts and meet this Harry Potter once and for all. Only a week to go…


	5. Harry Potter

The train journey to Hogwarts passed rather uneventfully. However it was only on that train trip that Celosia realised just how many muggleborns really were going to Hogwarts.

"It's disgusting!" She exclaimed. "They shouldn't be allowed to go here! They aren't entitled to a wizarding education!"

"I know," replied Draco, "I was talking about it to a boy I met in Diagon. He didn't say much, but I can bet he felt the same."

"Blood traitors are just as bad though. I hear there's another Weasley's going to be starting this year. Repulsive how they can abandon their own kind like that!"

"Careful Dumbledore doesn't catch you talking like that mind," Draco warned his cousin, "he's big on the whole 'equality' thing…"

"Well he's just as bad as the rest of them then…" Celosia muttered.

The train finally reached its destination. Celosia was glad to be getting of the train; a train trip consisting of stupid mudbloods stuffing their faces with wizard sweets whilst attempting to find some missing frog- toad, whatever- was the last experience she wished to repeat.

Stepping out onto the platform, Celosia breathed in the cool air that was bound to feel familiar to her in no time at all. The large man famously known as Hagrid called out in a bellow for all first years to follow him.

Celosia smelled the cool air and breathed it out in mist. She glanced across at Draco who was already making his way towards the huge man. Celosia looked casually across to her right, and saw the outskirts of the dark forest.

"_Draco!" _she hissed, attempting to gain her cousin's attention. No luck. He was chatting away to his two rather large new friends.

Celosia backed away from the crowd and behind a small wall to at the back of the group. She ducked down and waited.

She waited until no one was around. When the silence fully encompassed her Celosia could hear everything. She grinned. The excitement sparked up from her toes as she stared deeply into the thick forestation before her. She took one step; the shiny wet stones crunched underneath her feet and appeared to fill the dense silence surrounding her. She slowly walked forwards, listening carefully for anyone who could be lurking around. Soon her pace quickened and she found herself walking hurriedly towards the forest. As soon as she entered it her whole body was wrapped in the cold. There was no wind. Celosia could hear her breath, quivering with excitement. Mist seeped from her mouth as she breathed. She began to walk, struggling to see through the mass of branched that seemed to claw at her, tugging her back. She attempted to walk on.

One branch caught her; it appeared to grip, and then pull at her newly purchased robes. Celosia frowned, tugging her robes from the gnarled wood. She took another step before she felt another branch tug. She turned her head in confusion. It was the same branch. She tugged and pulled before realising that the tree was actually tugging back! Before she knew it, a root burst through the ground like a needle through fabric and caught on to her right leg, then another grabbed her left. She angrily fought and struggled against the fierce embrace of the trees around her until she felt something wet drip onto her neck. The trees froze. Celosia managed to pull her arms free of the frozen monsters and touch the wet patch. She lifted her fingers up before her eyes. A silver substance dripped from her fore and middle fingers, she recognised it as unicorn blood. A shiver rippled down her spine as she backed out of the forest as quickly as she could.

She fell onto the shiny wet stones, breathing heavily. Scrabbling to her feet, Celosia carefully brushed herself off and began to shakily make her way to the castle.

It didn't take her long to walk, and when she got there the first years hadn't even entered the great hall yet. They were gathered outside what Celosia assumed to be the entrance judging by the noise admitted from it. A fairly elderly woman was explaining the houses and sorting to the group when Celosia crept behind them and squeezed through the crown to stand beside Draco.

"Where have you been?" he hissed at her when she tapped him on the shoulder.

"I went for a walk." she said, her voice still shaking. "A very interesting walk…"

"I shall return when we are ready for you," the woman said. "Please wait quietly." And with that she left the chamber.

Everyone began to mummer quietly between themselves.

"Who was that?" Celosia asked Draco, a quiver still audible in her voice.

"Professor McGonagall." he answered. "Are you Ok? When you say a walk, what do you mean exactly?"

"Hold on a second." Celosia replied, as she walked past him and over to a boy she had been staring at for quite a while.

"Err, excuse me," she said, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention. "But I was wondering who you were?" she said, a slight smile playing on the corners of her mouth.

"Umm, Neville Longbottom." he said politely, holding out that hand that wasn't clutching his mucky toad. "Nice to meet you!"

Celosia continued to stare at the boy, no doubt making him uncomfortable. Soon, she let a false smile play on her lips.

"Neville Longbottom!" she said grinning. "I assume you're Frank and Alice's son, yes?"

Neville nodded, unsure of what else to do.

Celosia held out her hand, an dark smile still plastered across her face. "Celosia Bellatrix Lestrange. I believe my parents know yours?" she said.

Neville's mouth opened in a mixture of realisation, shock and anger. Celosia couldn't help but smirk at the shocked look upon his face. A feeling of power left her almost giddy.

"Oi! Lay off Lestrange! You're obviously just as twisted as your mother! Just because you're parents' minds are rotting away in Azkaban doesn't mean you can bad mouth anyone else's! Ok?"

"Weasley, at a guess… am I right?" The boy's ears merely turned even redder on response.

"It amazes me that you dare to say my parents' minds are rotting when that blood traitor's parents," she said, indicating with a dismissive movement of her hand, "Are currently rolling around at St. Mungo's as we speak!" Celosia shouted.

"Don't you dare speak of them like that! Do you hear?" cried Neville, taking a step towards Celosia. She cautiously backed off, looking at him like he was a pile of dragon dirt.

Celosia began to respond when Draco interrupted her.

"Celosia don't bother, he's not worth the effort. Live and let live… for now anyway." He said, pulling his cousin away from the boys.

Draco walked instead up to a scruffy boy with messy black hair and bright green eyes hidden under wire framed glasses. Celosia realised who he was. Her mouth opened in shock. How could he be so… normal? So skinny and so small? She stared in amazement, searching his forehead for his famous scar, but his messy black hair appeared to be covering it.

"Is it true?" he said, approaching the boy, "Everyone's saying that you are Harry Potter." The boy stared blankly in response. "Well? Is it true?"

"Yes." Replied the boy gently.

Draco smirked. "This is Crabbe, Goyle." He said, gesturing to the two boys that closely resembled pigs. "And of course, you've just met my cousin, Celosia." He said, gesturing, now, over to where the dark haired girl stood, eyeing up this Harry Potter like a hawk would its prey.

Celosia continued to think on his image. Skinny, that was never a good sign. Skinny was a step towards weak, and weak was not how Celosia had imagined the boy who had the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. She certainly hoped that there was more to this boy then what he first appeared.

"And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." The Weasley boy sniggered. "Think my name's funny do you? Weasley sounds bad enough don't you think Celosia?" He asked, turning to her. She was still staring at Potter and smirked when she heard Draco's comment.

"You'll soon find out," Draco continued to Potter, "That some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." At that, Draco held his hand out to Potter and Celosia's attention focused on the exchange intently.

Potter looked Draco in the eye and said coolly, "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself thanks."

Draco scowled, lowering his hand.

"Blood traitor!" cried Celosia.

Draco backed away and gestured for Crabbe and Goyle to follow and Draco, Celosia, Crabbe and Goyle all stood together and talked about the events that had just happened and cast a distasteful glare at Potter and Weasley every now and then.

"He'll end up the same as his parents if he doesn't start to show more respect." stated Draco.

"No surprise. His parents died like filth and so will he!" Celosia said staring at the boy.

For a moment, he also looked up and caught her eye. They lingered on looking at each other for a moment. Celosia saw something behind his eyes and her expression softened into that of curiosity as she tried to read what it was. He raised an eyebrow and she stared deeper; what was he thinking?

"Move along now!" shouted the familiar voice of Professor McGonagall breaking Celosia and Harry's staring match. "The sorting ceremony's about to start!"

The group entered the enormous hall that was bustling with excitement. Celosia looked up and smiled gleefully; the night's sky was presented before her, like a play performed just for her enjoyment. The group gathered together and listened to the Sorting Hat's song.

Celosia barely concentrated on the rhyme the tatty old hat was chanting, she was too busy examining the various people seated at the table at the front of the grand hall. She assumed they were the Professors. She counted Snape (of whom she had heard before from her Uncle and Aunt as a family friend) Quirrell (who had also been spoken of by her Aunt and Uncle, though not with quite as much fondness) and various other teachers. At the head of the table sat Albus Dumbledore. He had a happy and gentle look lightening his aged features and sat proudly watching the ceremony. He was kind looking, which surprised Celosia as she had been told that he was a very powerful wizard, and her mother told her that kindness was a sign of weakness. Yet there was no doubt that this man simply radiated power from his throne like chair.

Professor McGonagall began to call out the names.

"Abbott, Hannah!" She called.

Names flew by and soon 'L' was close.

"Lestrange, Celosia!" cried McGonagall.

There was a small amount of murmuring, and Celosia was sure she heard someone say "Is that the crazy women's daughter?"

She sat herself elegantly on the stool and the hat was placed on her head.

_Lestrange, it said, I remember your mother and father. Great potential they had. Pity…_

_Pity about what?_ Celosia furiously thought back.

_Oh nothing, nothing… Now let's see. Well Hufflepuff is not an option, defiantly not! It muttered in her head, Ravenclaw… maybe, certainly an intelligent one. Gryffindor… well you certainly are brave, going into the forbidden forest all alone! Or maybe that was foolishness? The two are very often confused…_

Celosia could practically hear the hat smirking as it said this, and so she furiously bit back. _I am NOT_ _foolish! And I refuse to be sorted into Gryffindor!_

_Well then, it said, there's only one thing for it…_

"SLYTHERIN!" It cried and Celosia jumped up and ran over to join her house immediately.

"Longbottom, Neville!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" cried the hat.

Gryffindor? Neville Longbottom? Honestly? Celosia almost laughed out loud. Neville Longbottom hardly struck her as the bravest of people. Then again, what had the hat said? Foolishness is often confused with bravery…

Draco was sorted into Slytherin along with her, and after a long day Celosia couldn't wait to get to bed. Hogwarts was certainly going to be fun…


	6. The Halloween Feast

Classes passed quickly. Day's turned into weeks and weeks into months as Celosia settled into Hogwarts. Soon, Halloween was upon the first years and Celosia couldn't wait to see Hogwarts at this time of year.

After familiarising herself with her new friends and classes, Celosia soon felt at home. The mudbloods were easily avoidable and if any got in her way, she simply had to hex them and they knew their place. She stayed with the people she knew best: Draco and the other Slytherins, and, apart from the odd argument started by Draco, thought no more of Harry Potter.

Sitting in the Slytherin common room completing the last of her potions homework, Celosia over heard Draco talking bitterly with Crabbe and Goyle about Potter having received a broomstick at breakfast a few days earlier- with Professor McGonagall's permission! She knew Harry was a good flyer, but this was exactly the thing to get Draco wound up. Celosia knew from experience that Draco being wound up led to Draco doing stupid things.

Celosia couldn't help her mind drifting to her mother. She wondered what she was doing right now, although the answer to that would be: not much at all. Celosia had no idea how she held up after ten agonising years of constant Azkaban imprisonment. Of course, in all honestly, she hadn't. Bellatrix Lestrange's sanity left home a long time ago…

Because of her parent's reputation, many (almost all) of the Gryffindors hated Celosia. Only the Slytherins gave her the true respect she felt she deserved. Of course, only the Slytherins would be able to see why she should be praised for having murderous blood running through her veins. Sometimes, Celosia sat wondering why so many people did the 'right' thing. As far as she could see, doing good only let to being taken advantage of. She had never before felt guilt for what her parents had done and therefore saw no reason to be sorry. _Good is an unnecessary evil_, Celosia thought. It was an invisible force that, somehow, provided the power for people to do stupid things in stupid circumstances. It was the death of some people, and was bound to be the death of many more… Well, as long as they were only mudbloods and blood traitors Celosia didn't mind too much.

…

At the Halloween feast, Celosia heard that the mudblood girl Hermione was crying her filthy eyes out in the toilets somewhere. Miss the Halloween feast for a little cry? Must be crazy…

The feast had hardly begun before there was pandemonium. The stuttering Professor Quirrell stumbled into the hall, tripping over his own feet and shacking with fear.

"Troll- in the dungeons!" He cried grasping at Professor Dumbledore's chair. "Thought you ought to know…" He squeaked before fainting right in the middle of the crowded hall.

The pupils and teachers jumped to their feet, panic written across every child's face as they ran to each other.

Professor Dumbledore ordered the prefects to escort the pupils to their common rooms. A wave of voices shouted over the terrified pupils to introduce some order to the wild crowd.

"Brilliant!" Celosia grumbled. "First Halloween feast at Hogwarts and we have to stop having fun because some stupid troll took a wrong turn! Oh I hate trolls!"

"Could be worse," Draco reasoned, "you could be getting eaten by the troll right now."

"Could be better," Celosia replied sarcastically, "_you_ could be getting eaten by the troll right now!"

"Oh dearest cousin, you really are quite the comedian!" Draco bit back, glaring at her. "Come on, lets get up to the common room, I think we're finishing the feast down there."

Making their way through the corridors of the castle, down to the dungeons, Celosia heard someone mention the mudblood, Hermione. Turning around she saw Harry Potter and his red-haired friend Weasley. They had stopped following the group of Gryffindors up to their house and were sneaking off with the Hufflepuffs.

Celosia thought about Potter, and the numerous times he had sneaked off for some reason or another. Event during that very first Quiddich lesson he had been breaking the rules. It seemed that disobedience was a sure way to praise for the fabulous boy who lived and it was beginning to irritate Celosia. No doubt that Potter and Weasley were off to break the rules once again, and would end up with some lovely house points out of it as well! Celosia felt the rage move her forward, and before she knew it she was following the boys towards the girls' toilets.

There were footsteps and Celosia dived behind a wall five feet from the stone griffin behind which Potter and Weasley had hidden. Professor Snape strode past her, hardly noticing her. Celosia found this strange as her hiding place had hardly been ingenious. Snape had seemed preoccupied; nevertheless, she kept her mind on the task at hand.

A sickening stench flooded her nose. It reminded her very much of the smell Dobby often stank of, except this was far worse. Footsteps, louder and heavier than those of Snape's, followed by grunting echoed through the corridor. An enormous figure Celosia recognised to be a mountain troll trouped around the corner. The scraping of its club on the ground made her cringe as she watched it stomp into the girls' toilets.

_The girls' toilets!_

She watched in absolute awe as the boys ran up to the door, turned the key, and ran right past her with grins of accomplishment spread across their faces. They had just locked the troll in with Hermione Granger! They obviously seemed pleased with their work. Who would have guessed that the two boys hated mudbloods just as much as any decent pureblood wizard! An amused smile played on her lips just as she heard a piercing scream emit from the toilets.

Looks of pure horror planted themselves on the faces of Potter and Weasley.

"Oh no!" Said Ron.

"It's the girls' toilets!" Said Harry.

"Hermione!" They both said.

It was an accident. The satisfied grin that previously occupied Celosia's face disappeared, only to be replaced with one of disappointment. They were just the goody goodies she thought they were.

They turned round as fast as they could and headed back towards the toilets. This time however, they were facing her way, and they saw her.

"Lestrange!" accused Weasley. "What are you doing here?"

"I might ask you the same question!" Celosia bit back. "If you're not here to kill Granger, then what _are_ you doing?"

"Kill Hermione? It was an accident!" cried Harry. "Honest, we didn't mean to hurt her! We came to save her!"

"Yeah, so mind out of our way!" sneered Ron.

They strode past her and towards the toilet door.

Celosia turned around to face them, "Save her?" she spat, raising one eyebrow. "Oh I should have known that the all high and might Potter would stride along to rescue the mudblood distress! Followed, of course, by his faithful dog!" She gestured at Weasley.

"Oi! It was _my _idea to save her!"

"No it wasn't," said Harry frowning.

"Shut up!

"Awwh how sweet," said Celosia in a patronising voice, "the doggy wants to be the master!" She pouted and laughed.

Harry yanked the door open and the boys ran inside.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Celosia cried as she followed them.

Running into the damp room her eyes widened as she found herself merely several feet from the huge troll. Granger was sat with her back to the soggy wall, eyes like saucers as she stared in fright. Before the four knew, the troll was advancing on Hermione, dragging its lethal weapon lazily behind it. Plaster flew across the room as several of the sinks where shattered by the club.

"Confuse it!" shouted Harry.

"Oh yes that's right!" exclaimed Celosia. "Tell it a confusing riddle! That should do it!"

Harry shot Celosia a glare as he picket up a tap that was left on the floor from the recent destruction. He hurled it across at the wall. The troll swung its great head around and glared at the boy. In an instant it trooped across to him, swinging its club fiercely in the air.

"Oi, pea-brain!" yelled Ron, throwing a metal pipe at the beast. It bounced of and the troll hardly fluttered an eye.

Celosia rolled her eyes. Honestly! Well she would have to show them how it was done…

She ran, full pelt, towards the troll and jumped at it when she was two feet away. She grasped onto the troll's arm, dangling helplessly from it. It turned and stared at her, a look of pure confusion and annoyance. It shook its arm, but Celosia gripped on tightly. Turning around, it swung the arm Celosia was hanging onto up into the air and swung her off and against the wall at the opposite side of the cubicles. Her back hit the wall and she slid down limply onto the wet floor. Her head dizzy, she could just make out Harry running towards her.

"Come on, come over here!" he said, tugging at her robes. He supported her and walked her over to the door just as the troll took a great swing at them with its club, they narrowly dodged it.

"Run Hermione! Get to the door!" Ron yelled, gesturing wildly with his arms.

The troll was confused; it roared and tossed its head in frustration. Heading towards Weasley, it swung its club around and demolished the cubicles, wood splintering everywhere. Harry settled Celosia down onto the floor. She felt faint and winced at the pain in her back.

Harry sprinted towards the massive animal and jumped a little higher than Celosia had managed to, slinging his arms around its thick neck. His wand swung around and planted itself deep into the trolls left nostril. It howled in pain and twisted in agony.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!"_ spoke Ron, pronouncing the words of a spell previously learned that day. The troll's giant club lifted high into the air and dropped onto the trolls head, the sound of wood hitting bone echoed around the bathroom. The troll swayed and stumbled before landing on the floor in an enormous heap with a _thud!_

The four stared.

Harry slowly stood up. Celosia managed to get to her feet, lifting herself with her arms and supporting herself with the wall.

"Is it… _dead?_" asked the mudblood, speaking for the first time.

"Erm, I don't think so. I think it's just been knocked out." replied Harry.

Celosia shook her head in shock, staring at the massive mound on the floor. "You three are insane!" she accused; her eyes were open wide in bewilderment. "I mean, absolutely insane!

Harry ignored her, crouched down and pulled his wand from the troll's nose. Greeny grey slim dripped from its end.

"Urr, troll bogies." he winced.

Footsteps rushed to the scene and Professor McGonagall bursted through the door way, Snape and Quirrell behind her.

"What on earth," she asked in an icy tone that suggested _big_ trouble, "Were you thinking of?"

The four just stared.

"You're lucky you weren't killed!" she continued stepping forward. "Why weren't you in your dormitories?"

"Please Professor McGonagall," said Granger, her voice quite and timid. "They were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!"

"I went looking for the troll," she lied. "Because I- I thought I could deal with it on my own- you know, because I've read all about them."

A clatter echoed around the toilet as Weasley's wand dropped out of his hand where it had previously been held aloof.

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead right now. Celosia jumped on it, Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

All three of the other first years stared.

"Miss Lestrange. I didn't believe you to be a friend of Potter and Weasley's. What were _you_ doing around the girls toilets when the Slytherin common room is all the way down in the dungeons?" asked the professor in an accusing tone.

"If I may intrude, Professor," said Snape in his slick tone. "I requested for Miss Lestrange to fetch something for me from one of the charms rooms. I see now it was a mistake to ask her to do suck a thing with such- _danger- _around the castle…" He said eyeing Harry and Ron.

Weasley opened his mouth to say something but Potter elbowed him in the ribs.

"So, if there isn't any objection professor, I shall now escort her back up to her house."

Celosia hurried to Snape's side, a satisfied smile clear on her face. She turned back to Harry to look smugly at him. She smiled, raising one eyebrow at him. To her surprise he smiled back. Her smile disappeared and she snapped her head down and hurried after Professor Snape.

Once they were out of the dungeon they walked quickly down the corridor to the stairs.

"I would have hoped," said Snape." That the only child of Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange would be intelligent enough not to be caught with a group of Gryffindors after school hours."

"I'm sorry professor. I wanted to… you know… Confront him."

"Potter?"

"Yes, professor. I just couldn't stand the way he strutted about, acting like royalty, like he-"

"Owned the place?" Snape finished.

"Yes, professor."

"I know how you feel, don't worry. It appears to run in the family."

Celosia looked up at him and decided not to ask what he meant. A good night's sleep was gladly welcomed after such an eventful day, that was for sure.


	7. A Christmas Visit

"Urh! That disgusting half-blood traitor! Head of Slytherin? What an absolute _disgrace!_ Stay away from him, Celosia. He was no good for the Dark Lord, he'll be no good for you!"

Once again, Celosia sat in the murky visitor's area of Azkaban prison. It was the Christmas holidays and Celosia had spent the past fifteen minutes telling her parents (as fast as she could) everything that had happened every single minute of the past term at Hogwarts. Her mother had picked at the points she found most irritating: the fact that Harry Potter was a "filthy blood traitor" and that Severus Snape had come within one hundred miles of her precious daughter. The latter she was still lecturing on.

"It's only a school, mother! Why don't you trust him?" Celosia said in a feeble attempt to reason with Bellatrix.

"Why don't I….? Why don't I trust him?" Bellatrix asked, bewildered. "Because, young lady, the Dark Lord put almost _all_ of his trust in the dirty traitor and look at what happened to him! Doesn't it strike you as ever so slightly coincidental that Snape now sits nice and comfy in Albus Dumbledore's toy box?" She pronounced Dumbledore's name in a mocking tone.

There was a pause as the company considered this thought. No one dared breathe for fear of Bellatrix screaming them into last year's Christmas pudding. All accept one…

"I think he's cool!" piped up Draco.

"What's he doing here?" Celosia asked Narcissa coolly.

"Draco wanted to visit his Aunt and Uncle, Celosia. He doesn't mind the dementors so much now, do you Draco?" Lucius said. It was hardly a question.

"No." Draco said proudly, though Celosia doubted that was true. "Professor Snape is my favourite teacher at Hogwarts! Potions is amazing! Did you hear what he said at the beginning of the year?" he asked Celosia, "Put a stopper in death" Draco said, attempting to imitate Snape's rich tones, "Wouldn't mind learning that! Beats turning buttons into beetles, that's for sure…"

Celosia glared. "Are you quite finished?"

"Bellatrix," Lucius began," Severus has been a close friend of the family for many years. I assure you, he is no traitor."

"I shall believe that, Lucius, when I see it."

Another pause.

"Right! Well… Bellatrix, Rodolphus, we'll see you soon! Wish you a wonderful Christmas!" Narcissa said hurriedly.

"Yes, Narcissa," said Bellatrix," Of course! I'm sure we'll have a wonderful Christmas! Just like the last ten we spent in this hell hole…"

"See you soon, Aunty Bella! You too, Uncle Rod!" shouted Draco as he tripped over his feet in the hurry to escape.

Celosia followed her cousin, aunt, and uncle down the long passageway and out of the stone walls. The last visit until summer… The thought made Celosia quite cold inside…


	8. One year down

The first year at Hogwarts was over, and the rumours of what had happened between Professor Quirrell and the so called 'Golden Trio' had deeply depressed Celosia. More so than she had anticipated…

On the Hogwarts express she, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle sat in a compartment reflecting on the year just gone. The failure of the plan to bring the Dark Lord back to power was sure to put her parents in a foul mood. The one opportunity she possibly could have had to finally meet the man who her parents had put themselves in Azkaban for was gone. It had been smashed to pieces by that interfering by, 'The Chosen One'. Celosia scowled with distaste.

"It'll be nice to go home I suppose," Draco reasoned, "but I'm going to miss Hogwarts. I'll miss the Slytherin common room, and the dormitories, and the great hall, sitting at the Slytherin table, ooh and potions lessons!"

Celosia groaned as he continued to list the various wonders of Hogwarts that the Malfoy Manor, despite its grandeur, lacked.

Draco shot her a look. "It's not my fault you're in a foul mood… Don't take it out on us!"

"Well come on!" Celosia moaned dramatically, "Slytherin _lost_ the house cup! Potter and his ginger and mudblood friends proved to the school that they are better than us _again_! But worst of all the Dark Lord is _still_ not in power!" Celosia's face was alight with anger. Crabbe and Goyle merely stared blankly, unsure of what to say or do.

"Why do you care?" asked Draco, "You've never met him! You _aren't_ a death eater, contrary to what you appear to think!"

Celosia glared. "Maybe not," she said darkly, "but I will be one day. If you're too narrow minded to see what could have happened if Potter hadn't interfered, then it's your own loss. I, however, will not be held back from making my parents proud!"

"You're just saying that," he dismissed, "makes you sound cool… intimidating. Well it doesn't scare me!"

"Well you know what?" Celosia stood up and made her way to the door of the compartment, "I just can't seem to care!"

She slammed the door shut behind her and thundered down the train.

"She'll be back; she left her trunk." Draco jeered.

Celosia sped her way down the train, anger fuelling her paces. She grasped quick glances at each compartment as she went, the beautiful English countryside sailing past every window. She stopped outside a compartment near the front of the train. Without knocking, she slid the door open. The train rattled as she entered the tiny room and looked at the three previously laughing first years.

"I just wanted to say," she spat bitterly at Potter, Weasley and Granger, "well done. Really,_ really_ well done!"

"Get out of here Lestrange." Weasley said, picking up on the sarcasm in her voice.

"No." Potter interrupted, standing up, "If she's got something to say, let her say it. Go on Lestrange, say it to my face!" he challenged.

Celosia paused, before finally hissing at him. "I bet it feels good!"

"I'm sorry?" Granger piped up.

"I'm sure you're so pleased with yourself. So pleased now that you've proved to everyone that you truly _are_ 'The Chosen One'!" she mocked.

"You're just sour Lestrange!" Weasley commented.

"Think what you like," Celosia murmured darkly, "but you'll see. The Dark Lord will find a way back, and when he does, you'll really see what you're up against." She turned her back and stormed out of the compartment leaving the naive behind her.

"What a weirdo! Takes after her mother that one… Absolute nutter. "The Dark Lord will return" Oooohhh!"." Ron laughed.

"I'm not so sure," Harry said slowly, "I think she could be right."


	9. Sirius Black

_**No pointless author's note at the beginning. Let the next chapter commence…**_

_As the news of Sirius Black's escape continues to shake the government, the security of Azkaban Prison is being seriously questioned. Though Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement ensures all that Azkaban is as safe and secure as ever. "The dementors are totally and utterly on our side," she tells the Daily Prophet, "However the escape of Black has initiated certain precautions. It is with agreement of the rest of the department that I hereby ban all visits to Azkaban prisoners from this point onwards. This will include visits to lower protection cells as well as high."_

"They can't do this!" cried an outraged Celosia, slamming the newspaper down on the breakfast table.

"Au contraire dear cousin, they can." Draco responded coolly. Being thirteen had made him, if possible, even more arrogant.

Celosia signed, "Well yeah fair enough… But what am I going to do? When am I going to be able to see my mother and father again?"

"We don't know Celosia," replied Narcissa, "The most your uncle has been able to find out is that these new rules will stay in place at least until the capture of Black."

"And if they don't catch him?" Celosia asked, raising her eyebrows.

Narcissa opened her mouth, and then closed it. "Eat your breakfast Celosia. Draco, don't just leave the plates on the table! Dobby's not here to take them away anymore! Take then through to the kitchen."

"Bloody Potter and his stupid sock!" Draco muttered as he begrudgingly pushed his dirty plate into the sink where it was included in the pool of dishes already being magically cleaned.

"Mother mentioned once," began Celosia curiously, "that Sirius Black was her cousin."

"He _was_, yes." Narcissa said absent mindedly.

"She said that he was a filthy blood-traitor who was sorted into Gryffindor the minuet the sorting hat touched his head. Said he ran off with James Potter one summer and never came back, so Aunt Walburga burnt him off the Black Tapestry…"

"Yes, dreadful business…" Narcissa murmured.

"So… How could he have been a Death Eater if he was a blood-traitor?"

Narcissa lifted her head from the Daily Prophet. "Celosia, he joined the cause at the last minute. It was a secret. No one but the Dark Lord knew."

"But my mother said he was filthy vermin betrayed his blood! She said he couldn't have done it!"

"Celosia, he was seen! He must have done! Besides, what else could have happened to Pettigrew?"

"Pettigrew?" Celosia asked.

"Yes, yes…" she looked up to see Celosia's puzzled look. "It doesn't matter. Now I know you're upset about not being able to see your parents, and there's really nothing I, myself, can do about that. However your uncle is trying to sort out negotiations at the Ministry; we're sure something will be able to compromise. Just wait and see…"

"Yeah… Whatever." Celosia muttered.

Celosia reached across for the Daily Prophet and walked to the stairs. She had walked up about five marble steps when she heard someone whispering her name.

"Celosia!" hissed Draco. He walked out of the sitting room, placing a single finger on his lips.

"Come on." he said, walking up the stairs until he reached her. He placed a hand on her back and walked her speedily up the rest of the steps before guiding her into his room.

"Draco what is it?" Celosia asked impatiently, as she sat down next to him the bed.

"I just wanted to say," He began in a low tone, "and mum _did _try to stop me from putting ideas into your head… But I felt I had to say it."

"What is it?" Celosia hissed.

"I was just thinking… if this Black guy can get out of Azkaban, then that means it's not impossible then doesn't it? I mean, everyone said it was the best prison in the world, which no one could escape from! But if someone just has then-"

"Yes, yes I get it alright!" Celosia sighed. "Sorry Draco!" She said as she looked at his hurt expression. "I know, I was thinking about it just then… That's why I was wondering about Sirius Black; if he was a _real_ Death Eater, wouldn't he have helped the other Death Eaters in Azkaban escape along with him? Sounds like a pretty poor team player if he only cares about himself!"

"Hmm, you're right… Sounds suspicious. But my point is, this first escape is just the beginning! It'll be like the first spark that sets of the fire! Whether Sirius Black is really who they say he is or not, he's given the others hope! Your parents will be out off there before you can say Merlin!"

Celosia weakly smiled at her cousin's optimism, but she doubted what he said was true.

"Thanks, Draco. I'm sure you're right." She lied, and reached over to give him a hug.

"Wow! Displays of affection from our favourite little psychopath in the making! Who slipped something into your morning pumpkin juice?" Draco joked.

"Shut up!" Celosia laughed back and shoved him away jokingly.

It didn't really matter whether her mother made it out soon or not. If anything, sharing her thoughts aloud with Draco had helped her determine one thing: it _would _be possible to get her parents out of Azkaban. From that point, Celosia decided she would do anything to get then out. Anything at all…


	10. Vulnerable

**I know! Finally, right? The last time I updated this story, I was going in to my GCSE's. Now, I'm in my last year of A-levels, and my last year of school! I can't believe how long I abandoned this for! Well I am sorry, so please forgive me, but I hope to get into the swing of it once again! Here we go. Wish me luck!**

As the wind screamed and howled against the windows, and the rain drilled down onto the roof, Celosia Lestrange stood solidly in front of her full length mirror in the furthest corner of her room. The air was spikey and cold, creating goose bumps on her porcelain skin. There was a grey hue to the lighting in the room, making her face appear sunken and damp. Her dark brown- almost black- eyes stared blankly, creating two lazy images of her figure. She shook herself into focus.

Reaching up to her neck, she readjusted the deep purple embroidered shawl she had placed over her black velvet top. The knee length beaded, grey skirt she wore hung over her pure white legs.

_Horrid. _She thought.

She didn't mind her pale complexion, _but legs_, she thought firmly, _should not be pale._

Seating herself on her four-poster bed, she kicked off her heels and reached for a pair of sheer, black tights. Her long fingers pulled them over her feet, then her legs. She stood and slipped her plain, shiny, black heels back on.

She looked back at herself in the mirror.

_There. _She thought. _Much better._

Shifting her weight from foot to foot, she tugged on her skirt and stretched a forced smile onto her face. It shrank away immediately. It looked wrong. Out of place. Nailed optimistically onto sharp features, in the hopes of making them softer. It failed.

_Never mind._ She thought with a sigh. Smiles weren't her thing, and she knew that. It mattered not.

She turned to her side, sucking in her stomach, flattening it with her hands, shifting her legs.

_I'm beginning to look sexy._ She thought. Fourteen years old. All grown up.

"Celosia!" called a cry from downstairs. Draco's voice. "Celosia, mum and dad want to go now. Are you ready? They don't want to be late!"

"Coming!" Celosia replied. She took one last look at the mirror, before turning and grabbing her lace purse and her wand. She headed out of the room and down that stairs.

Striding across the Persian carpet, she shook back her thick curly hair. Her hair always made her feel better about herself, gave her power.

She walked through the already opened towering wooden doors, engraved and shining sinisterly. Heels clicking on the entrance steps to the Malfoy Manor, she pathetically lifted her tiny purse above her head to shield herself from the rain. She half ran the few feet between the steps and the carriage doors. Clambering in, she ran her fingers through her hair.

"You look nice." smiled her aunt, with whom she had come face to face. "One would almost think you'd put some effort in."

Celosia gave a weak smile. The joke was well meaning, but she was not in the mood.

"Where are we flooing from then?" asked Draco.

"We're not." replied Lucius. "You mother's still feeling a little ill. Too ill for floo network or portkey travel, I dare say. We're going by carriage the whole way there. Boring, I know, but we'll pass the time. It's not too far."

"I can't wait until we get there." said Draco, leaning against the carriage window.

He'd been looking forward to the Quiddich World Cup final for months now, ever since Lucius had brought the tickets home from work. Celosia enjoyed quiddich, she'd played as beater for the Slytherin team for a year now, but she hardly enjoyed watching it. Therefore, she was more looking forward to the parties and gatherings that were sure to take place whilst they were there. Many of her old childhood friends were going to the match, and so she had arranged meetings with all of them.

A couple of hours passed and as Lucius had predicted, it was not long before the carriage pulled up in front of the campsite entrance. They weren't staying in the campsite itself, but in a rather large and elaborate cabin just off the woods. Being none too fond of damp and mud and twigs, Celosia was exceedingly glad of their accommodation arrangements. Once they had made their way to the cabin, and had settled into their rooms, Celosia began getting ready for the match.

…

There was fire, and burning, and screaming and shouting, and suddenly, Celosia was running. Running out of the cabin and into the woods. Running away from whatever it was that was causing this. She tripped and fell. Blood pounded in her head and she shook violently. Her wand was clasped tightly in her hand as it went cold and numb. She pushed open her eyes and saw dark moving figures with tall hoods towering above her, moving around her. They stepped over her, walking onwards. Celosia's head fell back, and she closed her eyes… just for a moment…

…

"Celosia" echoed a voice, a male voice. Draco? No. Uncle Lucius? Celosia wasn't sure.

"Celosia Lestrange, please wake-up!" a girl's voice this time, still echoing, but clear.

"Bloody hell, Lestrange! Get up for God's sake!"

Weasley.

Celosia pushed herself up with her arms, the air bashing her head cruelly. There was a high pitch beeping in her ears and her eyes were sore. The air was thick and it was dark, very dark. She cautiously opened her eyes and looked up. Three faces looked down on her.

She sprung up.

"Potter. Weasley. Granger." She said eyeing them each one at a time. She shifted carefully, still unsure of herself on her feet. She checked herself. She was muddy. Stitches had been pulled from her clothes and her shawl was torn in some places. She was bare-foot. Twigs and leaves clung on to the fabrics of her clothing. Her wand! It was gone. Seeing her reaction, Potter stepped forward.

"Here you are." He held it out to her. "This is yours, isn't it? Maple and dragon heartstring. It was lying by you."

"Yes." Celosia said, breathing deeply. She shifted from one foot to the other, frowning. She reached out, taking her wand of him. "Thank you." she stopped. "I-erm- I mean… What?" She paused and frowned. "What… Where… What happened?"

"Death eaters." Potter replied.

"Wha- What?" Celosia spluttered.

"You-know-who's followers." answered Granger.

"I bloody know who they are! I mean… how? They… No. I mean… Oh for crying out loud stop staring at me!" Celosia screamed.

"And there she is," said Weasley, "the Lestrange we all know and love."

"Oh shut up!"

"Look, I know you're confused, but we're not that sure what happened either." said Potter curtly. "And to be honest, you're not doing us much of a favour by slowing us down whilst we look for the rest of Ron's family. So would you kindly make your mind up as to what you're going to do? Either stick with us and shut up, or go back to your family and stop wasting any more of our time."

Celosia stared. Still confused by her blackout, she faltered for a moment.

"Erm…" she eventually managed to say, "I… I'll go." She quickly turned and crunched her way across the leafy woods.

"A thank you would be nice!" Weasley called after her.

Celosia stopped. She turned and walked briskly back to the trio.

"Oh thank you!" she stressed, "Thank you so much for shouting at me a few times and not even helping me up! I'm sure you went so much out of your way to do so!" she snarled.

"You collapsed in the middle of the fire!" Potter shouted. "We pulled you out and carried you here, _and _we waited for you to come round. So yes, your welcome!"

Breathing deeply, Celosia stared at him, her mouth slightly open. Her frown had disappeared.

"I erm…" she swallowed, "I'll go."

"Good riddance!" called Granger.

Celosia turned on herself and briskly walked, stumbling, towards the edge of the woods.

"Oh and Lestrange?" shouted Potter, "Give my best to your uncle, yeah?"

Celosia didn't turn, though she desperately wanted to know what he was talking about. She walked, and began to run. She shook in the biting cold and hugged her now torn purple shawl around her. She began to wonder were her shoes had gone, and felt the sharp stab of the twigs under her feet as she sprinted out into a vast open space. She had no idea where she was. Tears began to leak out of the corners of her eyes and large droplets spilled down her cheeks.

Celosia continued to run. She ran until she tripped and grazed her knee. Blood swelled up from tiny pin pricks upon her skin. She hugged her knee to her chest, wiping her face clear of tears.

"Celosia?"

She stood and turned. "Draco!"

Celosia ran to her cousin, breathing hectically.

"Draco! Do you know the way back?" she asked frantically.

"Celosia, are you-"

"I'm fine!" she snapped. She looked down at her feet. "Can we go back to the cabin please?"

Draco paused and stared at her. "Yeah." He said quietly. "Yeah, sure."


	11. Life Goes On

**Hello everyone, just a fairly short chapter here. It occurred to me today that it's probably really important for me to stress disclaimers as my story so closely follows that of the books, using its structure, characters and even some actual (albeit small) sections of the text. So all credit goes to the amazing, brilliant, wonderful J.K. Rowling. She owns the characters, the plots and all rights to the Harry Potter books. I merely write about them and add in my own character and twists. Enjoy!**

Celosia was finding it hard to look forward to going back to Hogwarts. Her original enthusiasm for the school had been dampened, dimmed down and brought to a monotonous tolerance over the last months of her third year. Of course, she was popular. By far, Celosia was the most respected Slytherin and, she thought proudly, the most attractive female Slytherin at Hogwarts. But despite this, her passion for magical education had withered of late. This, she considered, was partly down to the realisation that, no matter how hard they tried, the Gryffindors were always going to be the school favourites. It appeared that prejudice was intolerable, except when it came to the Slytherins. Accompanying this was the feeling that nothing interesting ever really happened at Hogwarts. Well, it did. But when it did, it only ever happened to Potter, Weasley and Granger.

In addition to this, Celosia had been unable to visit her parents in over a year. After Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban, the ministry had been on the edges of their seats waiting for a mass break out. Letters had not been permitted either, and the lack of communication with the one person in the world who Celosia felt understood her had certainly taken its toll. She missed her mother.

So it was that Celosia packed her trunk with a somewhat less that optimistic frame of mind. She folded her robes, her skirts and school shirts, then her casual clothes. It caught her attention, though hardly surprised her that the only colours she could see when her trunk was full were deep green and sliver, the rest of her wardrobe being black, white, or grey. The most elaborate item amongst the fabrics was a dark green satin dress with black beaded sleeves. It certainly didn't surprise her when she saw the requirement of _formal dress/dress-robes _on her Hogwarts school letter, having been informed of the intention to reprise the Triwizard Tournament over a month ago. She eventually classed it as "another of that Dumbledore-nutter's stupid ideas". Nevertheless, she did not hesitate in picking out a gorgeous piece from _Madam Malkin's_, at her Aunt Narcissa's expense of course. She placed her ink and quill in their box and settled it on the top of the folded clothes before pushing closed the trunk and sliding it from her bed onto the floor.

"Betria…" she called half-heartedly. "Betria, time to go!"

She pulled the black iron cage down from the top of her wardrobe and went in search of the cat.

…

"… Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the Headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore- the man's such a Mudblood-lover- and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riff-raff. But Mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line that Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually _learn _them, not just the defence rubbish we do. Of course, that would all be different if Professor Snape taught it. Father says-"

"Oh Draco, don't be so ridiculous. Uncle Lucius _never _considered sending _either _of us to any other school than Hogwarts, and I dare say Aunt Narcissa would have appreciated more of a distance between her and her pathetic lying weasel of a son…"

There was a snigger amongst the other Slytherin forth years as they slid into an empty compartment. Draco sneered at her, his distain at being the butt of the joke evident.

"Oh do cheer up." Celosia pouted, "I do it because I love you, dear cousin!" She reached over and pinched his cheek, ignoring his discomfort. Celosia took pride in the fact that she was the only one who could shut Draco up. Despite this, she and Draco were close. Closer than one would expect; Draco was her best friend.

"Well at least mother and father expressed an opinion on the subject." Draco retaliated, "As I recall, _your _parents never even discussed the issue. It's almost as if they didn't care…"

Celosia stared into his icy grey eyes. Her lips tightened as she clenched her teeth, a frown forming on her face. She lowered her tone.

"That," she stated, slowly and calmly, "would be because they knew where ever I went, I would still be better than you." She leaned towards him, never losing eye contact.

Draco snarled.

"Let's go." He said, springing to his feet. He made his way across to the compartment door. "I need to see Potter."

"Ooh, got a crush?" Celosia raised her eyebrows mockingly, still furious. Draco ignored her comment.

"They need knocking down a peg or two before the year starts. Coming?" He asked. Crabbe and Goyle stood immediately, their plump frames blundering towards the door. "You can come too if you like." He said to Celosia, "If you promise to be a good girl." He chided.

"I'll sit this one out, I think. Unlike you, I don't feel the need to satisfy my ego every five minutes. But you have fun!" She smiled, sarcasm oozing from her buttered words.

Draco and his two thug-like pets left for the Gryffindor forth year's compartment, leaving Celosia alone with the hideous Pansy Parkinson and quiet but mysterious Blaise Zabini. Celosia took to staring at the flickering countryside, her forehead pressed against the chilled glass of the window.

"Gonna go find the lunch trolley. Want anything?" announced Blaise.

"No thanks Blaise." Drawled Pansy in her gooey tone.

"Celosia?"

"What?" Celosia lifted her head abruptly, plunging out of deep thought. "Erm err… No. Thank you. No I'm alright thanks…"

"Okay. See you."

"Yeah see you…" Celosia said monotonously.

She rested her head once more against the cool window, the glass fogging with mist at the touch of her warm breath. The trees turned to double images as they whizzed past the carriage. _They did care_ she thought firmly. _Do care. Always have, always will, and they're proud of me._ She shook herself firmly. What should she care what Draco said. He was just trying to wind her up. True, it had gotten lonely without the constant reassurance from her mother and father that she was loved. But she hardly needed them to say it to know it. She was their daughter after all. Besides, she was an independent girl. She didn't need other's approval to excel.

"Celosia?" Pansy's crude voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hmm?" she murmured, unmoving.

"You know Draco's like, your cousin?"

"Mhhmm…"

"Well… I was wondering… what does he like?" You know… like… in a girl?"

Celosia lifted her head slowly, untangling her fingers from her hair. Her mouth opened slightly and she frowned at the girl with a bored stare.

"You've got to be joking."

"Well I was just thinking," Pansy continued, shifting slightly in her seat opposite Celosia. "You should know, right? I mean, he must talk about these things."

"Pansy, honestly," Celosia stated, "I don't know, I couldn't care, and even if I did or could, you _really_ would be the last to know."

"Okay," Pansy nodded, "Sorry."

Celosia rolled her eyes irritably, placing her head once again on the now warm window pane.

"Please," she sighed, "someone put some excitement in my life before I kill myself…"


	12. A New Professor

The sorting was over and the feast had begun, Celosia was still a million miles away. She played idly with her food, flattening mashed potato with her fork and mixing it with gravy. She reached over and grabbed her goblet of pumpkin juice before taking a greedy gulp, half wishing it was firewhisky. Draco chattered frantically to his friends, gesturing elaborately with his hands where they were sat at the Quiddich World Cup.

Celosia glanced uninterestingly across the table across from them. The Gryffindor table. She saw Granger and Weasley engaged in an enthusiastic discussion that threatened to become an argument if Potter didn't referee soon. Weasley appeared to be grossly stuffing his mouth whilst attempting to reason with the brushy haired brainbox. Potter was less that pleased to be sprayed with food as he wrinkled his nose, turning away from Weasley. A faint smile graced Celosia's lips. She wondered briefly what if must be like to have friends who you could be that relaxed with, that at ease. The thought lingered for less than a second before quickly being dispelled by her simmered anger at the trio. Filth.

She became aware that Dumbledore was speaking. It was easy to guess before it had been said what the main purpose of the speech was. Celosia had been told by Uncle Lucius at the beginning of the summer holidays. Draco hadn't shut up about it for the past month, and his insistence upon his entering was really quite pathetic. Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa had not dared to tell him about the various rule changes that were to take place and nor had Celosia. If Draco had known that he wouldn't be able to enter, he would have been in a foul mood all summer. Then again, she thought as she glanced across to him, it probably would have been better than letting him make such a fool of himself, telling everyone how certain he was to be chosen.

There was a sudden deep tremble and sharp lightening cut across the enchanted ceiling. The doors to the great hall swung open with a mighty crash and Celosia's head turned abruptly, eyes wide. A blackened figure of a man entered, shrouded in a large leather cloak. His pounding footsteps sounded of metal and echoed across the enormous stone room, trembling in contrast to stark silence in the rest of the hall. Every eye was upon him. He flung back his hood to reveal a rag of dark grey hair dragged over a rough head and face. Celosia had stopped breathing. Her heart had found a steady beat at which to thump uncontrollably. The face of the man was coarse and odd. A false eye was strapped across uneven features, startling and unnerving.

He had made his way to the great table, and was now shaking Dumbledore's hand eagerly. The headmaster muttered as the man muttered back. The disproportionate figure made his way around to the seat next Dumbledore, swinging his half-metallic body mass onto the wooden chair. He looked quite simply terrifying. He false eye span around the room at an alarming rate as he drank generously from a leather hip-flask.

"May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody." Dumbledore announced to the silently stunned room.

He proceeded to continue his speech with an idiotic smile of his face. Celosia's gaze was fixed firmly on the new arrival and the sounds of the headmaster's dull voice soon drifted away.

_Why doesn't he drink pumpkin juice?_ She thought, frowning slightly. Perhaps he was an alcoholic. It wouldn't surprise her if he were. She would blame him either, who wouldn't be at Hogwarts? She'd heard about the famous Mad-Eyed Moody. He was responsible for putting most of her parents' friends into prison. Celosia expected to feel an intense hatred against him for this reason, but she could hardly feel anything of the sort. Perhaps she needed her mother's constant speeches and lectures in order to hate the people she was supposed to. But he was a blood traitor, and Celosia knew she hated blood traitors.

"…Only students who are of age- that is to say, seventeen years or older- will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration."

Celosia was unsurprised at hearing this. Her Aunt had told her early in the holidays that the rules had changed. It didn't bother her. Of course entering had occurred to her, but ultimately, she felt her talents would be better directed to more useful things. Her gaze turned once again to the new professor. Lessons with him would certainly be interesting…

…

Lessons began, and the first few days were just as ridiculous and pointless as Celosia remembered. After useless divination lessons with the googly-eyed Professor Trelawney, countless dull potion lessons and a hazardous care of magical creatures lesson involving Blast Ended Skrewts with the filthy half-breed Professor, Celosia was quite drained.

"Have you seen this?" asked Draco, grinning from ear to ear. "What a joke!" he exclaimed, holding out a copy of the Daily Prophet to his cousin. They were standing in the Great Hall with Crabbe and Goyle.

Celosia saw an article written by the well-known Rita Skeeter and a rather unflattering picture of Weasley's parents.

"The blood-traitors have been making utter fools out of the ministry once again. Seems like Weasley's father responded to a false alarm brought about by Mad-Eye-Moody! Show what a nut-job he is doesn't it?"

"Which one?" Celosia asked, mockingly.

"Take your pick!" Smirked Draco, "Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" Draco called upon seeing them trio enter the hall.

The three turned impatiently.

"What?" said Ron in an irritable tone.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" Draco chided, continuously grinning. "Listen to this!" he practically shouted.

Draco proceeded to read the article aloud for all to hear, thoroughly embarrassing the already reddened face of Ron Weasley. Celosia saw Potter's shoulder's tense. She knew it was rare for him to retaliate, and whenever he did, it was a fairly pathetic attempt. Granger was shifting nervously, ready for something to happen. She glanced from Draco to Weasley and back again, chewing her lip with raised eyebrows.

Malfoy was presenting the picture to Weasley as he teased him. Weasley shook as if her threatened to explode at any moment.

"Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?" Draco spat, viciously. All attention was on Weasley as he quivered violently.

"Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Potter. "C'mon Ron…"

"Oh stay out of it, Potter!" Celosia shouted, sneering at him. "Learn to mind your own business!"

"And that's what you're doing right now, is it Lestrange?" Called Potter.

"You were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" Sneered Draco. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky or is it just the picture?"

"You know _your_ mother, Malfoy? That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"

Draco's lips pressed tightly together and his face reddened.

"Draco, don't" whispered Celosia softly. Draco appeared not to hear her.

"Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter." He threatened.

"Keep your fat mouth shut then." Said Harry as he turned away.

Before she could stop him, Draco had grasped his wand and shot a white hot glowing hex in Potter's direction, missing him narrowly.

"Draco, you idiot!" Celosia shouted. But before he had time to respond, Celosia found herself facing a snowy white ferret in place of Draco.

Unable to control herself, Celosia shrieked loudly. She heard a gruff voice shouting down the staircase and turned to see the new Professor pointing his short wand fiercely towards Draco's new form. The white ferret swung into the air dangerously and back down like a yo-yo. Celosia's hands flew to her face as she genuinely feared for Draco's safety.

Professor McGonagall's shrill tone was heard from the staircase. "Professor Moody!" she cried.

After some persuasion, Professor Moody eventually returned Draco to him regular shape and the boy shook to his feet. He half crawled away from the Professor, practically dragging Celosia with him. He spluttered in fear. Celosia gawped for a second, before beginning to giggle slightly. She was soon in hysterics as her cousin shouted at her.

"It's not funny! Shut up will you!"

It's shouldn't have been funny, but Celosia hadn't laughed so hard in months.


	13. The Unforgivables

**Heya everyone! Thanks very much for all of your reviews; it means a lot to me that people are actually reading this! I hope you're enjoying it so far, I'd like to know what you think of Celosia as a character. Obviously she's more difficult to write because of her being an original character and I was wondering if you had any pointers, whether it is from someone who has experience writing OCs, or just someone who has noticed something that could be improved on. Thanks again for reading, enjoy!**

Celosia's first lesson with Professor Moody could not have come sooner, and she realised as she stepped through the cold stone entrance to his classroom that she had been excited about his lesson all week. It seemed bizarre to her that she should feel such anticipation towards a school lesson, especially given her recent lack of scholarly enthusiasm. _That might all be about to change_ she caught herself thinking.

It appeared she wasn't the only one whose attention had been caught by the new professor. She noted that Potter, Weasley and Granger had raced through into the classroom the minute the bell had rung and grabbed themselves three seats at the very front of the classroom. She avoided they're eye contact. She and Draco settled for two seats to the right of the classroom near the back. Celosia flung her heavy buckled bag onto the desk and pulled out her thick leather bound copy of _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection. _She placed herself on the very edge of the seat, chewing her lip viciously as she waited for the Professor to arrive.

"Not one for punctuality then…" Draco whispered under his breath. Celosia paid him no notice.

A rhythmic thump began to make its way to the classroom door, metal smacking of thick stone. Professor Moody's gnarled hand curled around the arched entrance to the room as he clunked inside. He grunted quietly with each step and hauled himself across to the desk at the front of the silent classroom.

"You can put those away," He croaked. "Those books. You won't need them."

Celosia frowned for a second as Draco shrugged, grabbed his copy from the desk and flung it into his open bag. Her fingers slowly found the book on her desk and placed it gently back in her bag as she stared intently at the hunched figure at the front of the room.

He began to grunt out names, throwing them across the classroom and settling an electric blue eye on each pupil in turn as they answered. Celosia was used to people reacting when they heard her name, even if they tried to hide it. Her first week at Hogwarts had fed her ego massively as each teacher paused tentatively after pronouncing the name "Lestrange." Potter, she was sure, was used to ten times as much attention. Professor Moody didn't bat an eyelid- admittedly she was unsure if he had one for the creamy bulb settled in his eye socket.

"Right then," he growled, looking up from the register to frown at the class. "I've had a letter form Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures- you've covered Boggarts, Red Caps, Hinkypunks, Grindylows, Kappas and werewolves, is that right? But you're behind- very behind- on with curses. So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark-"

"What aren't you saying?" Weasely stupidly called out from his front row seat.

The corner of Moody's mouth twisted up into a sliced smile.

"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh?"

Oh yeah, sure, he knew _Weasley's _name… Celosia turned to doodle with blotchy ink on her parchment whilst she vaguely heard Moody say that he was only teaching for one year, a favour to Dumbledore. _Of course_ she thought, she had briefly forgotten that this was a muggle-lover she had here before her.

Professor Moody explained the ministry's guidelines about what should and should not be taught to forth years, before explaining that Dumbledore believed that they could all handle more than the ministry thought they could. In other words, Dumbledore believed they could handle illegal curses.

_Only good idea he's ever had._ Celosia thought.

"You need be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."

Lavender blushed furiously and quickly focused on what the Professor was saying. Celosia smirked instinctively.

"So… do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

_The Unforgivables. _Celosia thought instantly. Professor Moody pointed towards Weasley, whose hand was half-raised in the air.

"Er," He mumbled awkwardly, "my dad told me about one… is it called the Imperius curse, or something?"

_Yes you idiot. _Celosia's parents hadn't had much of an impact on her upbringing or education, admittedly, but they would never have let her grow up without knowledge of the Unforgivable curses.

"Ah yes, your father _would_ know about that one." Replied Moody eagerly. "Gave the ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius curse."

Carefully, Professor Moody reached across to one of several jars laid out upon his desk. He reached into the jar and pulled out one large black spider, about the size of Celosia's palm. He pointed his wand viciously at the spider and muttered "Imperio!"

Celosia watched, eyes wide, lips slightly apart. He lifted the spider, dangling it from the end of his wand. It flipped over onto his desk and began to move its legs quickly in a disturbing tap dance. The class erupted in laughter, sniggers and giggling. The edge of Celosia's mouth twitching into a half smile.

"Think it's funny do you?" Moody said in a deep mummer. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?"

The room went silent. The laughter died as Moody glared darkly across the room.

"Total control," Moody said in an almost whisper, his mismatched eyes fixed on the class. "It takes real strength of character to fight the imperius curse, not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit by it if you can. Another!"

The quivering Longbottom raised his hand tentatively into the air.

"Yes?" said Moody.

"There's on," Longbottom stuttered inaudibly. "The Cruciatus curse."

Celosia breathed in sharply. Oh she knew how Longbottom knew that one. She knew all too well. She sucked her tongue inside her mouth cautiously. A strange feeling began in the pit of her stomach.

"Your name's Longbottom?" Moody asked quickly.

He nodded nervously, his eyes down scanning the floor.

Moody held his gaze for a second before towards the spider on his desk.

_He knows. _Celosia thought. Well how could he not? He's an auror. An ex-auror. One of the best there is. Was.

So he must know about her then. He must know what he was about to do, in front of her and Longbottom. Celosia's heart began to race as her stomach squeezed. She clenched her jaw tightly. _I can't watch. _She thought. _Why not?_ The feeling was unusual, to say the least. The swallowed with difficulty as Professor Moody enlarged the spider before the class.

"_Crucio!" _He hissed.

The spider arched its back inwards unnaturally. It twitched violently, its legs bending and snapping inwards. Celosia's eyes were fixed on her desk, her lips squeezed tightly together.

"This is the sort of stuff we should have been taught all along!" Draco whispered across at her.

"Draco..." Celosia said, attempting to ignore the sickening feeling in her stomach, "Please, just doesn't."

"Don't what?"

Celosia dropped her head into her hands, massaging the now urgently blood filled scalp. She shifted hectically in her seat as she winced sharply.

"Headache?" Draco asked.

"Yeah." She breathed.

"Stop it!" cried a shrill voice from the front of the class. Celosia looked up to see Granger staring agitatedly across at Longbottom who was wearing an expression of shocked terror upon his usually absent face.

Moody lifted his wand slowly. The spider shuddered to a still.

"Pain." Moody spoke in a soft voice. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus curse... that one was very popular once too.

"Right… anyone know any others?"

There was an eerie silence in the room as the class sat frozen in their seats. Celosia felt she could audibly hear several people swallow. Granger's hand rose shakily into the air.

"Yes." Said Moody, both of his eyes focused on her.

Granger spoke so quietly that her answer was inaudible, but Celosia knew what she must have said.

"Ah, yes. The last and worst. _Avada Kedavra. _The killing curse."

Celosia's head was spinning. She could feel every cold slither of air that she breathed in, and it created a horrid pain at the back of her throat.

"_Avada Kedavra!" _Moody grunted loudly as a green flash spilled across the room. The spider lay still on the desk, legs stiff in the air.

The air was vacant, gaping and open with shock.

So that was it. That was the world that Celosia's parents inhabited. That was the world which left Harry Potter with dead parents, Neville Longbottom with hospitalised parents and her with imprisoned parents. The amount of people that had been touched by the sharp, cold finger of the Dark Lord had suddenly shocked Celosia. An image formed in front of her face, one of many people who had lost their lives over thirteen years ago. An image of children who were never born, because one or both of their potential parents had been murdered by a figure in a black hood and silver mask. Murdered by her parents, her mother. Potter and Longbottom had just witnessed before their eyes what had happened to their parents, and Celosia had just witnessed what her parents used to do to so many people.

An involuntary shudder rippled down Celosia's spine. The rest of the lesson was spent making notes on each curse. Celosia barely wrote a word as she stared into the deep grooves in the wood of her desk.

At the end of class, she wandered out of the class room, her eyes fixed on stony floor.

"That was so amazing!" Draco cried once they had exited the classroom. "I mean, seriously! That is what we should have been learning all this time! Three whole years wasted. Well at least we can do some real learning now, right?" He looked across as Celosia's unfocused features, tracing the stone bricks. "You alright?"

"Hmm?" Celosia replied, her head shooting up to face Draco's. "Oh erm, yeah! Yeah I'm fine!" she smiled.

"Still got that headache?"

"Yeah… yeah I suppose so…" she muttered.

"You could go and see Madame Pomfrey? She could give you a spell or something?"

"No, it'll be fine!" she reassured him, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Celosia, look." Draco said in a hushed voice, his eyes focused on something over her shoulder.

She turned to see Longbottom being escorted by Professor Moody back into the classroom. A chorus of eyes followed the bare as Moody's clawed hands steered the ghostly white Longbottom by the shoulders back up the stairs.

"Guess some just don't have the guts to handle it." Draco mocked, a cruel smirk plastered on his face.

Celosia gazed at the entrance of the classroom through which the pair had just disappeared. She had no idea where the idea came from, but before she had thought it through, the words were spilling from her mouth.

"Draco," she began, "you carry on. I think I'm going to go and see Madame Pomfrey after all."

"Alright." He smiled. "See you at dinner. Hope you feel better."

"Thanks…" she murmured as he walked away. She watched him walk out of sight before turning and taking the stairs two at a time up towards the classroom door. Slowing her pace before entering the room, she quietly tiptoed through the archway. The classroom was empty. She walked briskly towards the carved stairs leading up the office. Just before she began to climb, her frantic heartbeat warned her how much of a bad idea this was. She climbed slowly and steadily. Voices could be heard in a vague mutter, gradually loudening and becoming more enunciated. 'Voices' referred rather to 'voice', that is, the one belonging to Professor Moody. Celosia could already picture Neville sitting silently on a stood, a cup of tea going cold in his hands.

"… So like I said, Professor Sprout just mentioned your interest. I thought you might like it…"

Celosia found herself standing in the doorway, looking upon the image she had just imagined in her head. Neville's posture was identical, except instead of a teacup clasped in his sheet white hands, a great leather bound book lay on his lap.

"Sorry. I erm…" Celosia began, her voice taking an unusually high pitch.

The pair looked up, startled. Moody's second eye swivelled around in its socket before landing on her. It stared at her like an audience of a thousand eyes.

"Sorry." She repeated. "I just. I…" she turned to look at Neville, whose eyes were as large as saucers as they bore into her face. "I wanted to see if you were alright."

There was a silence as Neville's mouth gaped open slightly.

"He's fine now, aren't you sonny?" Moody replied, giving Neville as close to a reassuring smile as his distorted face could achieve.

"I'll go…" Celosia's weakened voice managed to say.

"No. It's okay." Moody said, heaving his mass up from its chair. "We were just finishing up here, weren't we Longbottom?"

Neville nodded slightly, before raising himself on shaky legs.

"You have a good read, alright sonny?" Moody said. He placed a hand on Neville's back, guiding hi out of the office.

Celosia and the Professor listened to Neville's footsteps until they faded out into the distance.

"Sorry." Celosia said for the third time. "I didn't mean to… I just… wanted to know is all…"

The air felt clammy and cold as Moody's eyes continued to burn her own.

"Lestrange isn't it?" he eventually asked. "Celosia Lestrange."

Celosia nodded, biting her lower lip timidly.

"I know your parents."

Celosia froze. She had expected no less, but his frank tone had still taken her by surprise. She set her jaw in an attempt not to react.

"Oh yeah, I've met them. And your godfather."

This shocked her. No one had mentioned her godfather to her since his death when she was just a few years old. She knew little about him. She knew he had been young. It had been a last minute decision; her Uncle Rodolphus had been the original choice. For some reason, her mother had persuaded her father to ask the young death eater Bartemius instead. It was just under a year later that he, her parents and her uncle had all committed the crime that put them in prison, the crime which had just reduced Neville to a quivering wreck. He was talked of so little. Celosia had no idea what he had died of.

"I need to go to dinner." Celosia said in an almost inaudible tone.


	14. There's something about him

The air was like a vacuum. It made all sounds stop and caused a strange thumping within Celosia's head, a pain behind the back of her eyes. The air outside of that classroom. _His _classroom. She wanted to know. She wanted to know what had caused the new Professor to mention the man that she had forgotten about: her godfather.

No one mentioned him. Not anymore, anyway. Celosia didn't even know if she'd ever met him. And yet, whenever she stepped through that huge stone archway that led into Professor Moody's classroom, she felt memories awakening, memories that she didn't even know she had. He had held her, cradled her when she was only year old- or something like that. He had a slim face, dark hair, a thin smile. His hair was waxed back into a severe style that made her feel strangely at home.

But part of Celosia knew that these weren't real memories. They were merely projections of photographs she had seen before- an aged, tiny snap that she had seen when she was young, that she only just remembered. The slim man had held her underneath her arms and lifted her above his head, smiling as he looked up at her. The short image repeated itself over and over again. Celosia, with her short black hair and wide staring eyes was hoisted above this man's head again and again. Where was that photo now? Hidden in the draw of one of the many grand wooden chests within the Malfoy Manor? Slid between the pages of some forgotten book? No one mentioned Barty. No one. Until him.

As the Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons interested and intrigued her peers, there was only one thing that interested Celosia, and she would spend the entirety of the lessons staring at that thing. The first lesson had set the tone for the rest. They were all as deliciously dangerous as the rest. Poisonous. Exciting. But the words that came from the Professor's lips would just float over Celosia's head like white noise. She felt she could practically see the words form in his mouth, like smoke as they poured over his tongue. She could see the flare in his eyes as he spoke of some curse or another, the fire at the source. She was stuck in a void as she stared at him. For the first time in her life, she cared so little for the dark arts, for the darkness, for the poison. All she wanted was to know more about him. Who he was. She _needed _to know. She _felt _that there was something else, something more.

All of the other Slytherins dismissed her trance-like state. It was typical of Celosia to be cynical and brooding. Her moods were run of the mill. And so they didn't think twice about her furrowed brows or sharply bitten lips- bitten until they bled.

It was mid-October when Celosia was once again staring at the misshapen Professor as he ran through some technique of a counter curse, or something like that. Celosia was hardly listening. The bell rang like a hammer against thin glass and Celosia rose abruptly from her thoughts, like she had been plunged into freezing water. She gathered her books and her thoughts, placing her quill and ink in her bag.

"Celosia," growled a voice from just meters away. She started and her eyes shot to the front of the classroom. Professor Moody stood just in front of his desk, staring right back at her. "Can I have a word?" he asked.

Celosia stopped for a moment, her bag still halfway onto her shoulder. She breathed in sharply and straightened up. She nodded quickly and mumbled inaudibly. She quickly cleared her throat.

"Yeah. Yes, of course."

She shot a look across to Draco who was waiting at the archway. He raised his head to look at her.

"I'll see you in the hall."

Celosia nodded in response. She let her bag drop onto her seat and waited as Draco's footsteps faded along the cold corridor.

"Come with me." grunted Professor Moody, as he headed across the classroom, towards the steps that led to his office.

Celosia followed without a word and felt the thumping in her head growing deeper and louder. She climbed the stone steps; her fingers traced the cold banister as she made her way towards the office. She stopped at the entrance and watched as he pulled two chairs around a small, circular wooden table. The many shelves around the room were stacked with clouded phials and bottles that made the office look more like a potions store room- at least it would have done, if it weren't for the many items of brass and wood in all sorts of strange shapes that lay in trunks or on tables, scattered around the space. The room was full of intrigue: What is that for? What's in that phial? Many questions popped into her head about the various items around the room, but she voiced none of them; that wasn't what she was here for.

"Sit down." Moody grunted, as he pulled out one of the small tattered chairs that sat around the table.

Celosia swallowed and stepped forward. She moved across towards the table and perched on the edge of the chair, biting her lip sharply. The dim light flickered off the many bottles around the room and lit up the clouded substances, the murky colours swimming around like mercury. Some of the objects ticked and hissed creating a faint rhythm within the stone walls.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked as he limped towards her, throwing his wooden leg in front of him with every step.

"Erm... No. No thank you." Celosia murmured quietly.

"Suit yourself." He said as he lowered himself into the chair opposite her. He turned his face so that his glass eye was facing her, moving in its socket like a spinning top that was running out of momentum. "So," he said, narrowing his good eye and leaning towards her. "I've been thinking about what I said to you. You know, weeks ago. Remember?"

Celosia nodded, her eyes fixed on his.

Moody nodded thoughtfully to himself. "I was wondering" he said, "why you rushed off so quickly."

Celosia sat silently. It took her a while to realise that the Professor was looking for some sort of response.

"Erm…" she began, glancing to the floor. "I just… It took me by surprise."

"Why?"

"I don't know." She said, biting her lip. "Well… I do."

Moody stared at her. His tongue flicked out to touch the corner of his mouth. "Go on."

"My godfather. No one had ever mentioned him to me. Not since…"

"Mmmhh." Moody grunted, shifting back on his chair.

"It… surprised me. That you knew him."

Moody smirked. "Yeah. Yeah I knew him. You could say that… what do you remember of him?"

"Nothing. Well… not much anyway. Next to nothing."

"Huh… and no one talks about him?"

"No. Never."

Moody nodded. He reached to his side. He lifted his hipflask to his lips and hesitated, just before it reached them. Looking down at the flask, he appeared to snarl at the mouth. He frowned deeply before shaking his head, as if to himself. He grunted under his breath, replacing the flask at his side.

Celosia stared at the professor. His glass eye was staring straight at her, whilst his other… His other appeared to be miles away. Her stomach began to clench and the thumping in her head once again began to distract her. All of a sudden, she saw something. She realised… She noticed… something. But she didn't know what. There was a look in his eye, a certain shape to his smile. There was something she had seen before. It had been tucked away in a draw, in some book, but she still remembered.

"Who are you?" she suddenly found herself asking.

Then professor smirked once more, and let out a grunted laugh. "I knew you'd ask. I don't know how, but somehow I just knew that you'd be the one to notice. But perhaps that works out for the best."

"What are you talking about?" Celosia asked firmly.

Moody laughed deeper. His top lip began to flinch and the skin around his eyes sagged. Celosia moved back in her chair, her heart thumping louder and louder. The professor made a sudden retching noise, which made Celosia jump ever so slightly. His body began to tremble. The skin on his face moulded and changed, wax melting beneath a flame. Celosia's breathe quickened and she realised all of a sudden that she was afraid. Moody's body was now trembling at such a rate that it shook the chair beneath him. Its legs tapped on the stone floor, adding to the numerous sounds around the room. His fingers trembled upon the table and he reached with one hand to the false eye that was strapped to his face. He tugged at it fiercely until it snapped off his head, falling to the ground. The eye rolled across the floor like marble. The skin began to reform and take shape, a new shape, a slimmer one. The hair on his head grew thicker but shorter, and darker- much darker. The shaking lessened gradually until it came to halt, and Celosia was confronted with a face she knew, a face she remembered.

"Who are you?" she asked again, stupidly.

"You know who I am." said a different voice, lighter- not as heavy- but darker, far darker.

Celosia sat in silent shock. She remained pushed back in her seat, her breath still deep and her heart still thumping.

"You're dead."

The voice gave a smirk of laughter. "I didn't die."

"How?" Celosia whispered.

"I would take too long to explain. But you knew. You knew it was me."

"I did. I mean… I didn't." Celosia frowned, shaking her head. "But… I did. I knew that I recognised you. I don't know how, but I knew you."

The man, Barty Crouch Junior, nodded slightly. "I understand."

The room fell silent but for the ticking and whizzing of the various contraptions. There was a severity to the air, one that somehow excited Celosia. She suddenly breathed out with a smile. She lifted her hand to her mouth and frowned. She was _relieved! _She smiled. She was glad! Glad that he was here. She was glad that she had met him. She reached out with a shaking hand- this time shaking with excitement; she was not scared anymore- and placed it gently against his slim face. He reached up to put his own hand- that of Barty, that of Bartemius Crouch Junior, that of her godfather!- upon her own. She stood suddenly and reached towards him. Without hesitation they both put their arms around each other and held tightly. It felt right. Celosia had no idea why, but it did! She held him so tightly and felt him do the same.

"You have no idea what I felt when I saw your name on my register." she heard just from above her head, his arms still wrapped around her. "Draco's as well, but yours! My goddaughter! I couldn't believe it! I mean, of course you had to be here; why wouldn't you be? But still… I couldn't wait to see you!"

"I can't believe it's you!" she whispered.

"I haven't seen you in so long! You were so small when it happened…"

Celosia swallowed and pulled back. Her head began to ache with the mention of _that, _of the incident, the crime.

"Why are you here?" she asked, slowly.

Barty glanced around at the door. He moved over to it and turned the brass key twice. Locked.

"Sit down" he said.

He explained. He explained it all, the whole plan. His escape from his father, the Quiddich world cup, how he had captured Alistair Moody- the _real_ Alistair Moody- and taken his place. He explained the Dark Lord's plan, how he would rise again, stronger than before. He explained about the Triwizard Tourniment. He explained it all. He explained about Harry Potter, and then he explained what he wanted her to do.


	15. The Goblet Choses

The waiting was hard. At every mention of the Triwizard Tournament, Celosia's head began to spin with an almost giddy excitement. Everything around her appeared to be leading up to that moment, the moment when Harry Potter's name would be pulled out of the Goblet of Fire. Every time she looked at Potter, her skin began to prickle. She felt supreme; she knew what only one other in the school knew. Every second was painfully slow. It dragged upon her skin like grit, scratching painfully. Every Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson was like torture, her godfather, standing there right in front of her, unable to show his true identity. It made her sad, seeing him hidden behind the face of a blood-traitor. She felt that he was trapped. But once it was over, once the year was up, he would be a hero.

It was a waiting game, a game that was soon to begin. She knew that she couldn't tell anyone, not even Draco. He was close to her, closer than anyone ever had been. But he couldn't handle this sort of thing, and he would never be able to complete the sort of task that Barty had asked her to. Celosia could. She had been waiting all her life to show the Dark Lord, the world, her commitment to the cause. Now she had her opportunity and it filled every nerve she had with adrenalin.

Sitting in the great hall at the Halloween Feast, Celosia was surrounded by excitement and anticipation. Everyone in the hall had one question on their mind: which three would be picked as champions. Even Celosia was anxious to know the answer to that question, as the ability of the other three champions determined how easy it would be to guide Potter through the tasks.

Because that was what Barty had asked her to do. Potter had to win the tournament in order to resurrect the Dark Lord. Barty would do as much as he could to guide Potter through the tasks. He already had techniques and methods planned. But the job would be infinitely simpler if there were someone that could get on speaking terms with Potter. A friend of sorts, a peer: her. Celosia had no idea how she was supposed to become friends with Potter, especially seeing as they were near enough enemies. Barty had outlined the sort of things Potter would need help on, but he had provided her with little to no advice on how she was going to give Potter that help.

She found herself looking at Potter from across the hall. His face was blank and unknowing. She supposed he was excited, just as the rest of the schools were. She thought about his green eyes that always appeared so innocent and noble. His arrogance still irritated her. She remembered that time during her first year, exactly four years ago on Halloween. He had smirked at her across the broken girls' toilets. Glass and plaster strewn across the floor, he had smirked as she left. Or had he just smiled? During her second year at Hogwarts, she had tried for the Slytherin Quiddich team and made beater. She had, so far, only experienced a couple of years on the team, but learnt that everything she had heard was true: Potter was an arrogant little sod on the Quiddich ground. She had aimed multiple bludgers his way in a specific attempt to knock him down a few pegs. No success.

He had no idea what was about to happen. He had no idea that tonight was the start of it all, the start of the Dark Lord's second rein upon the wizarding world.

There was a buzz across the school as the Goble of Fire began to spew red flames and a small shred of parchment soared into the air. Dumbledore caught it and peered at the name upon the scrap.

"The champion for Drumstrang," he called out, "will be Viktor Krum."

The hall was filled with cheering and clapping, particularly from Celosia's side of the hall, where the Drumstrang students had sat themselves.

Viktor Krum. Good on a broom, but perhaps not quite as good with a wand. Celosia knew nothing of his scholarly skills, so she would have to do some research. He would have all of Drumstrang behind him, so there was some strength there. There was no doubt that he was a strong competitor; clearly the best in his school or the goblet wouldn't have chosen him.

Once again, flames rose from the goblet and a piece of parchment floated into Dumbledore's hand.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore "is Fleur Delacour."

Fleur Delacour. Celosia knew nothing of this girl. As she rose from her seat Celosia saw that she was pretty, but perhaps this was her only strength. Celosia just had to hope that none of the champions matched the strength that Potter would gain from Barty's orchestration and her guidance.

For what most of the hall thought was the final time, red flames sprayed from the cup and a third parchment piece was retrieved.

"The Hogwarts champion," Dumbledore called, "is Cedric Diggory!"

An eruption of cheers came from the Hufflepuff table. Diggory stood amongst the loud group, receiving pats of the back every few seconds.

Diggory was good, Celosia knew that much. He was an academic pupil, with strengths all across the board. He had the whole of Hufflepuff behind him as well. But that was merely an obstacle. Celosia and Barty would make Potter the true champion, and he would win. It felt good to think of it like that, her and Barty.

Finally, the moment Celosia had been waiting for was here. She felt a surge of nerves sore through her as, for the final time, the flames began to raise behind Dumbledore's back and the hall went quiet. Celosia sat herself upon the very edge of her seat as Dumbledore stopped speaking and turned to the goblet. The flames shot to the ceiling and out of them flew a small piece of parchment. It drifted down like a snowflake and landed in Dumbledore's hand. No one in the hall could know how much that little piece of parchment symbolised. No one knew that this was the beginning of one of the biggest events in wizarding history.

"_Harry Potter."_


	16. The Honour

There had been talk all around school about the forth Hogwarts Champion, and Celosia was beginning to have concerns about whether the lack of support for Potter would hinder his chances during the tasks. Her cousin was of no assistance, as he relished any chance to have a stab and the so called 'chosen one'. His mocking and bullying had probably hit Potter harder than he'd have liked to admit. The root source of Draco's cruelty was jealousy; Celosia had no doubt about that. But despite the fact that Potter clearly knew this, he was definitely suffering from his current loneliness.

Part of that could be to do with his apparent loss of friendship with Weasley. The two had not been seen together since the night that Potter's name had been pulled from the goblet, and there were no prizes for those who could guess why.

None of this would work in Celosia or Barty's favour. The task she had been assigned was already proving far harder than she had anticipated. Not only must she help Potter through the tasks in a technical way, it also seemed that she would need to provide some form of support for him on a deeper level, and all of this without anyone realising what she was up to.

They had developed a sort of routine. She had moved from her usual place at the back of the class to the front for DADA. This was relatively easy to do seeing as she had a form of dominating control over her group of friends. They would rather not ask questions than risk being on Celosia's bad side. In this position, Celosia was able to have a form of eye-conversation with Barty throughout the period. If, by the end of the lesson, he had decided that he needed- or just wanted- to speak with her, he would tap three times on the front of her desk. This small movement had gone unnoticed by her fellow classmates so far. At the end of the lesson, Celosia would make some subtle excuse to stay behind. This had worked well so far and was convenient seeing as four out of her five weekly DADA lessons were directly before either lunchtime or the end of the school day. So far, the little meetings they had been having were purely for friendly chats and catch-ups. There was so much that Celosia wanted to know about Barty, and so much that he desired to know about her. He had explained to her how close he was to her infant self, and how he had often longed to see her again whilst in his father's captivity.

So at the end of her lesson in early November it came as no surprise when Barty's fingers, in Mad-Eye's gnarled form, tapped three times on the wood of her desk. When the bell rang, she slid her fingers under the sheets of parchment on her desk and pushed them to the floor. As the rest of the class rose from their seats and cleared their stuff away, making their way to the door, Celosia dropped beneath her desk to gather her notes. As intended, Draco looked at her impatiently as she gathered her pages.

"Celosia?" he said, annoyance tinted his tone.

"Go. It's alright, I'll catch you up." she said throwing a reassuring smile in his direction.

She continued to pile up the parchment, taking more time than needed. She waited until she heard the last footsteps leave the classroom, echoing across the stone floor. She bunched the pages together and shoved them onto her desk before making her way to Barty's office.

Celosia hurried up the steps and pushed through the door, closing it behind her. Barty sat, still behind the fleshy mask of Moody, at the small wooden table in the centre of the room. The buzzing and ticking of the various objects around the room comforted her, but she had to remind herself that they were not Barty's possessions. They were not really him. It was all just an elaborate mask.

Celosia sat herself at the table and looked across at her godfather who was quietly waving his wand so that a small kettle began to fill a teapot.

"Erm… How long until…" she cautiously asked.

"I change?" he finished. He glanced at the large grandfather clock on the wall. "I'm due to take more potion in about five minutes."

He continued to instruct the jugs and pots to move, and charmed two teacups to float across to the table. He glanced up at her.

"It makes you feel better, doesn't it? When I'm in my natural form?" he inquired.

Celosia bit her lip slowly and nodded.

"It just feels… like you. When you look…" she hesitated, "like that. I don't feel like I'm really speaking to you."

Barty nodded and pushed a cup of tea towards her.

"I understand. But I can't risk changing back and forth too much. If someone were to walk in, if there were to be an emergency, it could ruin everything in a heartbeat."

"No I get it, or course I do. It just… disconcerts me."

Barty nodded once more as he stirred his tea slowly.

"So did you want to speak to me about something?" Celosia asked.

Barty put down his spoon and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest.

"I just wanted to ask you if you'd started speaking to Potter yet."

He caught her eyes and she glanced down at her lap. She hadn't. She wasn't entirely aware that she should have done, but she should have guessed. If truth be told, she was scared. She had no idea what to do and being given such an important duty terrified her.

"Erm-" she began.

"I didn't think so." He said, raising his eyebrows.

"I will do!" she reasoned, moving to the edge of her seat. "I just… I didn't know how. I didn't even know that I should have done by now."

"Well of course you should have done!" he shouted. Celosia glanced nervously towards the door. "Sorry. That was unfair of me." He said in a gentler tone.

Celosia lifted her tea to her lips, her eyes still avoiding his.

"What I have asked you to do," he began in a controlled tone, "is very important, Celosia-"

"I understand that!" she said suddenly.

"Don't interrupt me! Not only is it of unbelievably high importance, it is an honour!"

Celosia nodded, keeping her eyes to the stone floor.

"You will play an essential role in the resurrection of the Dark Lord!" Barty whispered. As he spoke his face began to mould and distort. He pulled his eye from his face as he began to lose his mask. Soon it was Barty who sat in Moody's chair.

Celosia lifted her eyes to her godfather's more comforting form. She felt ashamed. She felt that she had already let Barty down. How could she not have begun her task? Her honour?

"Celosia," Barty said slowly, "your mother and father will be so proud of you if you do this for me, for the Dark Lord."

"I know." Celosia pleaded. "And I will be so proud of myself! This is all I've ever wanted, all I ever wanted to do with my life!"

Barty smiled, an almost pride gracing his lips.

"You're so like your mother, Celosia."

Celosia smiled. She took another sip of her tea which had, by this time, gone slightly cold. She grimaced. At the look on her face, Barty lifted his wand and heated the tea to a perfectly hot temperature.

"You can be better than her, Celosia." he whispered.

Celosia looked up, confused.

"We made a mistake. We made many mistakes. We targeted the wrong people. We weren't to know, but it cost us our freedom; the Longbottoms knew nothing. If we hadn't been sent to Azkaban, the Dark Lord could have risen by now and Potter would already be dead. Your mother has her weaknesses. She lets herself get carried away in the pleasure of her tasks. She forgets why we do what we do. We were his most loyal. We _are_ his most loyal. We were the only Death Eaters to try to look for him, to refuse to believe that he could be dead."

"I want to be one of his most loyal too." Celosia said, without hesitation. If anyone else had spoken of her mother the way that Barty just had, she would have cursed and jinxed them to within an inch of their life. But Celosia knew that Barty had a point.

"And you will be. I promise." he said, reaching out to touch the side of her face. "But for now, you have to work for it. It might seem impossible, but you have to make Potter trust you. You need to talk to him. He and Weasley aren't on the best speaking terms, are they?" Celosia shook her head. "Then there's a gap where Weasley once was. Fill that gap. Make him feel that he needs you, that you would be there for him if anything were to happen. Become his closest and dearest friend. I know you can do it."

Celosia nodded, determination now burning like a fire within her.

"You should get to lunch." Barty said, rising out of his chair and reaching to the flask at his side. He lifted it to his lips and, with a look of disgust, took a gulp.

Celosia stood and made her way to the door. She would speak to Potter. Somehow, she would find a way.


	17. The Next Day

It was the next day when Celosia sat in DADA, staring at her godfather and mentally willing him to tap on her desk. It had only been a day since they last spoke, but Celosia still wished to fill him in on her progress (despite her lack thereof).

She had been thinking about the next opportunity she would have to speak to Potter. The first task was close and if the was going to offer assistance in time for it, she would have to gain Potter's confidence soon. She now understood completely why Barty had been angry at her yesterday; if she had started speaking to Potter earlier, she might have stood a chance at guiding him through the first task.

She looked at him. His deformed face leaned towards them as he talked in his sinister tones about the many curses around in the world. She had never met the real Mad-Eyed Moody, but she was increasingly impressed at how convincing Barty was. He had managed to fool the whole school, including the famous Albus Dumbledore. She just hoped that he wouldn't be caught at any point throughout the year. They were only two months into the plan. Celosia had to remember just how dangerous this whole thing really was. Barty had taken a chance with her. Of course she was going to help him, but Celosia had no doubt that he would have been able to pull this off on his own. Barty was doing her a favour, so she needed to be the best that she possibly could.

She slowly dragged her quill across her parchment, making some brief notes on the lesson. She glanced up at the blackboard and caught Barty's eye.

He stared back at her and raised his eyebrows ever so slightly in a questioning look. She knew what he was asking.

She glanced to where Potter was sitting and then back to Barty. She gave a small nod that could barely be noticed by her peers who were too busy writing eagerly.

Barty gave her a small smile and nod before turning back to the blackboard.

She somehow wanted to communicate how the incident in the library had transpired. How Potter was unresponsive, and how she was lost about what to do next. She wanted to tell him in detail what had happened and how hard she had tried. She didn't have the first idea how she would tell him all of that through only her eyes, but even if she did, he didn't look back. He simple continued to teach in his growled voice and drag his chalk across the board.

"Right! Homework…"

The bell rang and the class began to stand and gather their stuff. Celosia left with her cousin and friends, disappointed that she had not been asked to stay behind. But she had a transfiguration next, so it would be suspicious if she turned up late. As they began to make their way up the stairs to their next class, Celosia heard her name called- albeit her surname.

"Lestrange!" she heard, and turned to see Potter running up the stairs after her.

Celosia glanced back at Draco who was looked at her frowning.

"What is it?" she asked in a hushed tone, unable to prevent herself from being embarrassed at a public sighting with Potter.

"Erm… I just wanted to say that I used the book you suggested," he said, also quietening his voice. "It was really useful. So erm… thanks," he said, staring at the stone steps.

Celosia smiled. "Good. I'm glad it helped."

Potter nodded before jogging back to Granger and moving on to their next lesson. Celosia turned back to her cousin and continued up the steps to transfiguration.

"What was that about?" Draco asked, still frowning.

"I erm- I dropped my quill. He was just giving it back to me." Celosia replied, smiling.

"Oh, right." Draco said flatly.

Celosia didn't really care if he believed her or not, she was just buzzing about what Potter had just said. Maybe this wouldn't be all that impossible after all.

…

Celosia thought it best to waste no time, and so decided to 'bump into' Potter and some point that day. She felt it was probably a good idea to seize the moment whilst Potter had a good reason not to be his usual self with her.

Potter had been visiting the library a lot recently, which Celosia presumed was partly to do with his somewhat depressive state. He was moping around like a dog who was about to be put down, hanging its head sadly. Celosia decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to manufacture some sort of meeting once more.

After the last lesson of the day, potions, Celosia picked up her books and hastily shoved them in her bag.

"I'm gonna go to the library," she said to Draco. "I'll see you in the common room."

"You know, I'm seeing less and less of you this year." Draco commented.

"Just… got a lot of work," she smiled.

Draco looked at her with a vague concern. "Okay," he eventually said, smiling at her and gathering his own books.

She lifted her head to see Potter and prayed that he would be going to the Library as she had predicted.

Once more, she followed him. She made her way through the corridors as he walked down them and was reassured to see that they were heading in the direction of the library. She felt more confident this time. Yesterday's encounter had reassured her that she could do this. Yes, she did have to try and become friends with a person that she hated, but Barty was doing that every second of every day.

As soon as they were inside, she walked across to the far end of the room and placed her bag at a desk. She removed her parchment from her bag and spread it out on the desk in order to set the scene.

She sat for a while as she watched Potter remove a book from his bag and open it. His jet black hair was just as scruffy as it was yesterday, a stark contrast to Draco's tidy and slick style. His jaw was firmly set and he was frowning deeply. He looked utterly miserable.

She stood after a few minutes and walked towards the bookshelves by his desk.

"You here again?" she asked once she had reached him. She reckoned that if she began this way that it would make it seem like he just so happened to be where she was.

He looked up. His eyes almost appeared to have bags underneath them.

"Hello," he said, before resting his head once again in his hand.

Better, she reasoned. Certainly better than yesterday's "go away, Lestrange."

"Are you okay?" she asked, frowning with false concern.

"Erm… yeah," he said, sighing. "I'm fine."

"Well, no offense, but you really don't look fine…" she said with a smirk.

Potter raised his head to look her in the eye.

"Could you do me a favour?" he asked. "Try not to pretend that you care."

"I'm not saying that I do!" she blurted out. "I'm just…" she struggled for a word, "intrigued…"

"Well don't be," he said in the same monotonous flat tone as yesterday.

Celosia paused, looking down at the floor. She tapped his desk absent mindedly.

"Is there something you're wanting? Or can you just go away now?" Potter asked impatiently.

Celosia held her hands up in a defensive manner. "Calm down! I was just wondering where Granger was."

Potter looked back down at his work. "She's doing her S.P.E.W. work- don't ask," he said upon seeing her confused look.

"Okay then. I won't," she replied defiantly.

"Anything else I can help you with?"

"You look lonely!" she reasoned. "It's really quite pathetic to see."

"Well I'm sorry to bother you."

Celosia was at a loss at what to do. She had felt so confident until a few minutes. His hostility had made this harder. She pulled out a chair at his desk and sat herself down.

"Lestrange, I'm very grateful for your… help yesterday. But I really don't know why you're bugging me. What do you want?"

Celosia paused.

"I know that you didn't put your name in the goblet of fire."

Potter stared at her. He frowned slowly.

"It would have taken… a very clever wizard to do that. Potter, you're not bad I'll admit. But you are nowhere near that good."

"I suppose I should take that as a compliment."

Celosia gave him a small smile.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked cautiously.

"I… don't really know. I suppose I pity you. The whole school is against you, plus two extra ones. Rita Skeeter is writing rubbish about you. My cousin's giving you a hard time- heck, your best friend is giving you a hard time. You look… sad.

"Yeah… Draco is hardly making this easy. And Ron's being a twerp."

Celosia smirked.

Harry smiled ever so slightly.

"Can I ask you something?" he said.

"Erm, go ahead."

"First year. Halloween feast. Why did you follow me and Ron?"

Celosia laughed lightly.

"Erm… I don't know. I suppose… I wanted what you had. I wanted to be the one the school was talking about for once."

"So you were jealous as well?"

"God no! Jealous? Of you? Dream on…"

"Wow, thanks."

"I just wanted what you had. The fame."

"Yeah, that's sort of the definition of jealousy."

"Shut up!" Celosia said playfully, letting a small smile play on her lips. Potter smiled back.

They looked at each other, possibly both equally taken aback by their exchange. Celosia couldn't help her heart race as she slowly began to succeed at her task.

After a pause, Potter spoke.

"It's not always easy, you know. Being the chosen one."

"So you really think that's what you are?" Celosia said, raising one eyebrow.

Potter merely looked down at the desk in response.

"Okay," Celosia conceded. "Let's say you are. What's so hard about that?"

"You wouldn't understand." Potter said flatly. He was beginning to get away.

"Try me." Celosia said, determined to keep him within her grasp.

Potter opened his mouth and thought.

"It's like… Everyone just expects me to be this person, this person that can save everyone. People forget that I was little more than a year old when I defeated Voldemort last time." Celosia flinched at the Dark Lord's name being used in such a derogatory way. "Sorry. You-know-who. Anyway, I had no idea what was happening. It just feels like… I'm not what everyone expects me to be. Ron used to be the one to understand that, but now he's turned on me as well." Potter looked back down at his desk, as if he was ashamed of his sudden outburst.

"Wow." Celosia said.

"I said you wouldn't understand."

"No! I mean, it sounds stupid… but I sort of get it."

Potter looked up at her confused.

"I mean, not to the extent that you experience, obviously. But," she lowered her voice slightly, "with my parents in Azkaban, my family so infamous…" she feigned discomfort as she glanced to the library floor, shifting in her seat. "I sort of feel that have a space to fill, that my future is already written for me. And I don't like that. I like to think that I make my own future." She looked up at him. He was staring at her with an intense focus. "Sorry. It's stupid."

"No! No it's not," he said, shaking his head slightly, his gaze never leaving hers.

They held each other's gaze for a few seconds, taken by surprise by the conversation they were having.

Celosia smiled.

"I ought to go," she said, standing up from the desk. "Sorry if I've distracted you." She gestured to the book lying on the desk between them.

"No it's fine!" he said, also standing.

She gave a small smile and walked away from the desk.

"Bye."

She turned and walked to where she had left her bag, picked it up and swiftly left the library.

She was stunned. Completely shocked by the amount of progress she had made in just two days. She was almost impressed with herself. She let a smile dance on her lips as she cheerfully made her way to the Slytherin common room.


	18. Dark Arts

**Thank you so much for all of your fantastic reviews! They honestly mean so much to me and I've been amazed at the amount of favourites and follows this fic has received! You guys are brilliant, seriously **** enjoy!**

Celosia was relieved when she heard three taps on the front of her desk during her next DADA lesson. She struggled to supress a slight smile. When the bell rang, she once again took her time clearing her stuff and urged Draco to leave without her. She realised just how suspicious it must be becoming. She saw the look on his face and momentarily opened her mouth. But she had no idea what to say. She closed it again and decided to leave it until another day.

Once more she entered her godfather's office, disappointed to see that he was still in Mad-Eye's form. She had a feeling that he had no intention of changing today.

"Hi," she said, seating herself at the table.

"So, how's it been going?" he asked.

"Great, actually!" she said enthusiastically. "Yeah erm… I don't what to speak too soon but, it's going really well yeah."

"Good," he said, nodding his head slightly. "Fortunately, you won't have to give too much assistance on this first task. I'm going to encouraged his half-breed friend to tell him about the dragons. That should provide him with an immediate advantage against the other champions. You probably just need to make sure that he's in the right mind set for the task."

Celosia nodded understandingly.

"I was thinking," Barty continued, leaning back in his chair, "that I should probably give you some lessons. Dark Arts lessons. It's alright you learning that rubbish I'm teaching through there if you're defending against the Dark Arts," he gestured towards the door to his classroom, "but you need to know more than that if you're going to be a death eater. That is what you want, isn't it? To become one of us once he is resurrected."

Celosia nodded enthusiastically. Her heart began to beat fast at the thought of Dark Magic lessons. She had always wanted this, all her life.

"Good. I think we should begin as soon as possible. Shall we say, tomorrow after school? Meet me in here and then we'll find a place."

…

The minutes felt as though they dragged on Friday. Every second was tedious and uninteresting as Celosia waited for the end of school bell. Her lessons were useless and mundane, and even her favourite subjects seemed to be a waste of time.

Once the bell had rang, echoing through the stone walls with magical amplification, Celosia spent no time making excuses for her sudden disappearance. She grabbed her bag and made her way along staircase after staircase, light footed and quick. As she reached the entrance to the Defence of the Dark Arts classroom, her pace slowed. She tentatively stepped through the doorway, her stomach leaping with nerves and excitement. She walked into the room to notice that the desks and chairs had all been pushed to the sides of the walls. He room looked vast and daunting without them. She took slow and careful steps into the room, looking around for any sign of Barty.

As soon as she had moved a good way into the room, the door swung shut behind her. She turned, startled, to see Barty in his true form, his back pressed against the wall. He held his finger to his lips, urging her to stay quiet.

"We have to be careful," he said, waving his wand at the lock of the door and began to move it along the edges of the wood presumably making it even more secure, "I'm running low on Polyjuice. Keep trying to get to Snape's storeroom but the filthy worm is always lurking around."

He looked up at her, breathing deeply.

"You got your wand?" he asked.

Celosia nodded. She placed her bag at the side of the room and pulled off her top robes, leaving her school skirt, shirt, and jumper. She pulled her wand from the inside pocket of her robes and walked back to the centre of the room. She swallowed carefully. She knew she was ready.

Barty walked towards her and raised his wand with a look in his eye that would surely terrify the average witch or wizard, but Celosia felt comfortable with her Godfather. He stopped a couple of feet away from her.

"First mistake," he said, lowering his wand.

Celosia frowned.

"Whenever any witch or wizard approaches you with his or her wand raised you _have_ to be ready to fight back." He leaned his face towards her, baring his teeth as he hissed to words at her. "It doesn't matter who they are, or what they mean to you. I could have been under the imperius curse. I could have been an imposter, disguised by Polyjuice potion. As unlikely as it seems, I could have become a traitor." His eyes narrowed and Celosia felt his breath on her face. Her heart began to race as her stomach clenched, she began to feel on edge.

"Try again," he ordered, walking back to a safe ten feet distance from her. "This time, the minute you see I'm about to attack, raise your wand and prepare yourself."

Celosia nodded. She gripped her wand tighter and noticed that her hand was shaking slightly.

Barty walked determinedly towards her and began to raise his wand. Celosia clenched her jaw and raised her wand. She bent her knees and braced herself.

"_Crucio-"_

"_Expelliarmus!"_

Celosia was barely aware of what had happened, other than that Barty's wand had been flung across the room.

"Sorry…" she said.

"No!" he said, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "That's good! Most of the things that I'm going to teach you are things that you already know. I'll just be teaching you how to use them. Impulse is one of the most important things you'll need, and you already have it. That was good."

He moved across the room to retrieve his wand.

"We'll try again. But this time, I want you to forget the rules that Hogwarts has ingrained into you. You need to stop seeing as magic as some flimsy means of doing housework and menial tasks. Magic is power, magic is might. It's what makes us better than muggles. You can't bind magic down with laws." He took three steps towards her and lowered his tone, looking her dead in the eye. "_Expelliarmus _might work within these walls, but it won't get you anywhere in the real world. Think of one spell, one spell that you have always wanted to use, but always been too scared to. Think of the one spell that you've never been allowed to use." He narrowed his eyes and continued to look in to her own. "Now you can." Celosia frowned wit concern. "Don't worry," Barty said smiling. "I'm a very powerful dark wizard. You won't hurt me."

He slowly walked backwards and stood with his wand gripped tightly. He paused.

As soon as Celosia saw Barty move towards her, she set her jaw and raised her wand. She felt her nerves turn to excitement as she prepared herself. Barty began to open his mouth, but before he could make a sound Celosia reacted. She took a deep breath and let her impulse take over.

"_Avada Kedavra!" _She screamed, watching the green flash of light pour from the tip of her wand. It looked beautiful and elegant as it soared through the space.

Barty dived across the room, narrowly missing the bright light.

The light faded and Celosia dropped her wand. It clattered against the floor, echoing around the room.

"Sorry." Celosia said quietly.

Barty looked up and her from the floor and began to laugh lightly. He pulled himself to his feet and looked at her.

"It's fine! Do you think I wasn't expecting that? I did say 'any spell'." He grinned broadly. "Thank God I soundproofed the room…" Celosia recalled him running his wand along the edges of the door.

Celosia gave the floor a small smile. Barty walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"That was good, really good. That would have been fantastic against a known enemy. For future reference, if you were faced with someone you knew and believed to be trustworthy; killing shouldn't be your first reaction. As I said before, they could be under the imperius curse. But for a first attempt, that was brilliant." He smiled at her before pulling her towards him and hugging her tightly.

They practiced for a good hour, working on Celosia's reaction times and reflexes, before it became evident that they were both growing tired.

"I think we'll leave it at that for today," he said after placing his wand in his inner pocket. "Well done. Shall we say, Monday after school?"

Celosia nodded enthusiastically.

"Good! Have a nice weekend."

He waved his wand towards the door and it clicked open softly.

Celosia slowly moved towards her bag and robe as Barty walked up the stairs to his office. She felt reluctant to leave, her thirst for learning growing stronger than it had ever done during her three years at Hogwarts. Exhaling lightly, she made her way towards the door. Hopefully she'd learn more on Monday…

After she had climbed the many staircases back up to the Slytherin common room, Celosia dumped her bag on the large black setae by the fireplace. The dark gloomy walls were lit with red by the flames and a faint hum of conversation could be heard from the various groups placed around the room. One of these included Draco and his friends.

"Draco," she called and gestured for him to come to her.

She had to say something to explain her odd behaviour over the past few weeks, even if she didn't have a clue what explanation she could possibly give. Draco stood and made his way over to her, the faint ghost of a smile still left on his lips from some joke his friends had made. Celosia feared it had been made at her expense.

"Long time no see…" he joked. "You okay?"

Celosia smiled and nodded. She wondered whether it was the best time to have this discussion, but decided to continue nonetheless.

"Yeah I'm fine thanks," she smiled. "Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."

"Yeah sure go for it," he replied.

"Erm… I know I've been acting kind of weird recently," she began. "Staying behind after classes and leaving at lunchtime… stuff like that. I'm not really sure how to explain why."

"It's okay," Draco interrupted, a faint grin forming on his features. "I know why. We- erm , Pansy and Blaise and me- think we know why."

Celosia's eyes widened with faint shock. He couldn't know. He couldn't. She had been so careful. What if Barty's entire plan was ruined because of her?

"What… what do you mean?" she asked, swallowing.

"You've got a bit of a thing for Mad-Eye Moody, haven't you?" he asked, grinning broadly.

"I…" Celosia began. "Wait- what?" she exclaimed, smirking.

"You fancy him, right?" Draco asked. It became clear that Pansy and Blaise were listening in on the conversation behind them as they began to giggle uncontrollably.

"No! What? What on earth…?"

"It's okay. I mean, it's weird yeah… really weird. But it's fine. I mean, honestly, it was so obvious! Staying behind after his lessons, leaving at lunch to go to the 'library'," he accompanied the word with quotation gestures and a smirk. "I mean, seriously, you even smiled when he walked past your desk today!" Celosia recalled her struggle to supress a smile when Barty had tapped on her desk.

Celosia smiled and looked to the floor, astonished at what her cousin had just disclosed to her. It suddenly occurred to her that this was exactly what she needed. She could sacrifice her pride for the sake of safety, for the sake of the Dark Lord.

"I erm…" she smiled, "I didn't realise it was that obvious."

"Obvious? You might as well have worn a sign around your neck! _Oh please, Professor Moody,_ _check my homework! I want to be sure I've got it right…_" Draco attempted to imitate her voice and began to bat his eyelids, playing with imaginary long hair.

"_Oh yes, Professor Moody," _Pansy joined in, _"I really admire all the work you did for the ministry. You must be so brave!"_

"Okay!" Celosia interrupted. "I've got the message. You can leave it now…"

Draco laughed. "Don't worry, Cel. We won't tell anyone." He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and smiled before heading back to Blaise and Pansy. "Well! I'm off to bed. See you in the morning… Mrs Moody," he smirked.

Celosia watched as he ascended the stairs to the boys' dormitory. She let a slight smile play with the corners of her mouth. She had to tell Barty about this…


	19. Hogwarts at Night

Can I ask you something?" Celosia asked on Saturday morning as she sat opposite Potter once more in the Hogwarts library.

"Erm… Yeah, I suppose," he replied, turning countless pages of yet another uninteresting book; Celosia had the impression that the only reason he went there was to avoid Weasley.

"Are you scared? About Tuesday?"

"The first task?" he asked, lifting his head and frowning at her.

"Yeah."

Potter looked back to the worn pages of his book. "Erm… I hadn't really thought about it like that. I'm not excited if that's what you mean."

"Well no, of course not. But I would have thought it would be the main thing on your mind at the moment," she said absently, looking down at her Care of Magical Creatures textbook.

"I suppose it should be," Potter reasoned. "But there's just been so much else going on. Ron, the whole 'Potter stinks' thing, Rita Skeeter's article… I've just been distracted."

Celosia could not resist laughing slightly at the mention of the newspaper article. Potter shot her a glare.

"Oh come on! It is a little bit funny!" she reasoned.

"Not when it's about you it's not," Potter hissed, scowling.

"Of course it is! In fact it should be _funnier_, because you're one of only a few who knows it's all a load of rubbish!"

Potter frowned and turned another page of the book before smirking slightly.

"Cheer up, might never happen," Celosia said, lowering her tone and smiling- a smile that Potter didn't return.

"It already has," he said with a sullen tone.

Celosia signed, closing her text book and sliding it back into her bag.

"Will you do something for me?" she asked.

Potter raised an eyebrow. "Depends what it is."

"Will you meet me tonight? Late. Around midnight?"

"I can't. I've got something on a little after that."

She frowned. "What have you got on at midnight? Never mind. Later then, or earlier, whatever suits you."

"Does it have to be tonight?"

"Well… no. I suppose it doesn't _have_ to be…"

"I could do half one."

"Yeah! That's fine," she smiled.

"Where?"

"Erm…" she thought carefully. "The Clocktower?"

"Alright."

"Okay then. I'll, erm, see you there at half one."

She lifted her bag and rose from her seat.

"Oh! And can you bring your broomstick?" she asked, giving Potter one last smile before leaving.

…

It was twenty minutes past one on Sunday morning when Celosia was standing in the clock tower, watching the swinging of the large clock's pendulum. _Not only am I freezing cold, but I have no idea what to do when Potter gets here. _

All she had planned was to take Potter somewhere so that they could talk. Get to know one another better. She hadn't thought past that part of the plan. This whole working for the Dark Lord thing was coming to be something of a pain…

The loud ticking echoed around the tower and made every second move painfully slowly. She put on a dark purple velvet day dress before realising the extent of the cool air and pulling on a large black jumper as well. She had put on black mid-calf boots with a slight wedge heel over her tights, a vague attempt at dressing up. Her hair hung messy, dark, and wavy over her shoulders and down her back. She hadn't brushed it; she would only go so far for Potter. She had her wand and a small purse full of money in her right pocket and held her _Nimbus 2001_ upright in her left hand. She decided that, if they wanted to, they could fly somewhere close by. What she hadn't thought through was how they were going to avoid being caught. She had just about managed to dodge Filch on her way to the Clocktower, with a close scrape with Mrs Norris.

It had reached half past, and still no sign of Potter. She decided that she would wait until two o'clock at the latest, but it was then that she heard a voice.

"Celosia!" she heard.

She turned, confused to see no one standing in the place that the voice had come from. Suddenly, Potter's head appeared from thin air, followed by the rest of his body. Celosia's widened.

"You have an invisibility cloak!"

"Yeah," he replied, a hint of exhaustion in his tone. He wrapped it up and tucked it under his arm. His_ Firebolt_ was held by his side. "So, what did you want?"

Celosia paused. She looked up at the dark sky and thought carefully.

"Come over here," she said, gesturing toward herself.

He walked over to her, a look of confusion on his face.

"Get on your broom." She swung her leg over the black polished wood and waited for his to mount his own.

"Can you pull that cloak over the both of us? If we fly close enough together?" Celosia asked.

"Maybe," he replied. "Just."

Potter unfolded the cloak and threw it across Celosia's head, then his own. She was able to see through it fairly well, the ripples in the cloak causing the only disturbance.

"Follow me," she ordered.

Slowly and carefully, she rose into the air and flew from the Clocktower. The wind tugged at the cloak, making Celosia grip the hem of it between her hand and her broom. It was difficult flying so close to another; she had never tried it before. She imagined that she could feel Potter's breath on the back of her neck and attempted to fly ever so slightly further from him. They slowly rose above the stone walls of the castle and Celosia turned back on herself, guiding them across the castle. She watched as the turrets of Hogwarts passed by their sides, the moon lighting the smooth surfaces. Most of the castle was unlit at this time, though light could be seen from the odd window and Celosia passed by them safe in the knowledge that they could not be seen.

Carefully, she landed on the sloped room of the astronomy tower, finding her footing as she pulled the cloak from over her head. She dismounted her broom and looked across at Potter. He was carefully landing behind her. He rolled up the cloak and lifting his leg from his broom. She placed the _Nimbus _carefully on the stone roof, and sat herself down on the turret. Hesitantly, Potter followed her example.

"So… what's wrong?" Celosia asked, turning to look at Potter seated beside her.

"I've just found out some scary stuff," he sighed. A frown appeared to be deeply embedded on his features and he was staring with worry at the sky.

Celosia was aware of a slight chill in the air as they sat so far up above the rest of the castle. The stars could be seen reflected in the lake and Hogsmead village was just about visible. The houses appeared to be from a model village as they sat upon the frosted hills.

"What sort of stuff?" she eventually asked.

Potter began to absently scratch the back of his hand. "About the first task. Hagrid told me," he replied as Celosia noticed a slight shake in his fingers that might not have been caused by the cold.

She waited for elaboration. She remembered that Barty had said about convincing Hagrid to reveal the task.

"It's dragons."

"Dragons!" she said in false shock.

Potter nodded. He chewed his lip and frowned deeper.

"Yeah. And, I'm not being funny Celosia," he said, a slight shake in his voice as he gave a nervous laugh, "but I have _no _idea what to do."

Celosia suddenly noticed that this was the first time he'd referred to her as anything other than her surname. She sat for a moment in surprise, wondering whether it was just his temporary vulnerability that caused his slip-up.

"And then," he continued, "when I got back to the common room, I had to speak to… a friend… and Ron walked in. He's just," Potter paused, gritting his teeth, "_such _a bloody pillock!" He clenched his shaking hands into fists and turned away from her.

Celosia swallowed carefully. She frowned, unsure of how to handle the situation. She raised a hand to place on Potter's shoulder, before deciding that the move was too much too soon. Not to mention the fact that she hardly felt ready to handle that level of intimacy with him just yet. She sighed.

"Ignore Ron," Celosia began, "and focus on the task."

Potter continued to face away from her.

"If it were completely impossible, then it wouldn't be a very good task now, would it?" she reasoned. "And it's designed to see how you react in the face of the unknown-" she stopped. She only knew that because Barty had told her. Potter seemed unaware of her slip up, so she continued, "but now you know what it is. So you already have an advantage."

"Lot of help that is. I've absolutely no idea what to do."

"You'll figure it out. The other champions don't know, do they? So you have one up on them-"

"They do." He interrupted.

Celosia frowned.

"Hagrid brought Madam Maxime to see the dragons as well, and when I was walking back I saw Karkaroff. They know."

That wasn't part of the plan. Celosia could bet that Barty wouldn't be happy about this.

"Well," she sighed. "You can still beat them-"

"It's not about beating them!" he shouted, turning to face her. Celosia opened her mouth, taken aback. "Don't you understand that? I don't care about winning the tournament, or beating the other champions, or the trophy, or the prize money! I just care about surviving. I care about the fact that everyone hates me right now, and that Ron won't say a civil word to me! And for God's sake, will you just leave me alone!"

Celosia sat still, stunned. She slowly stood and picked up her broom.

"Where are you going?" Potter asked.

"To bed," she said flatly, swinging her leg over her broom. "If you don't want my help, then I think I will leave you alone."

Potter stared at her as she prepared to take off.

"But… the cloak. You might be seen," he said, frowning, a slightly regretful look beginning to form on his face.

"I think I'll take my chances thanks," she replied, shooting him a glare.

Celosia took off and made her way back down to castle, careful to stick close to the walls so as not to be seen. She landed in front of the Clocktower entrance. Holding her broom in her left hand, she crept through the corridors and down the stairs until she reached the Slytherin common room.

"_Parselmouth!" _She hissed at the stone, before storming into the dimly lit room.

She stomped up the small flight of stairs to the girls' dormitory, hardly caring if she woke anyone in the act of doing so. Once she had reached the entrance, she swung it open and threw her broom at the side of her bed. She heard Pansy snore lightly as she changed into her nightclothes, viciously pulling off her clothes and throwing them into a pile. Climbing into bed, she tugged the duvet up to her shoulders. She frowned and clenched her jaw tightly, raging silently. She couldn't do it. She had tried, but she just couldn't. Potter was too arrogant, too infuriating to deal with. She shut her eyes tightly and forced herself to sleep, hoping that things would seem better by the morning.


	20. Rocks and Apologies

**I'm just going to say three words: Exams. Holidays. Sorry.**

**Let's hope the long wait has been worth it. Here we go! Oh, and I apologise for the use of one swear word :P**

Celosia awoke the next morning with a reluctance to get out of bed. It was Sunday morning and at eleven o'clock, with the sun shining through the dormitory windows, she had missed breakfast. She sat up amongst the sheets with a groan, pressing her palm to her aching forehead. Looking around, she noticed that she was the only one left in the dormitory. She dragged her body out from underneath her duvet and lazily pulled on a pair of jeans and a top before heading out for a walk.

She murmured 'good-morning's to various passer-byes and briskly walked to the main entrance of the castle. The cool breeze felt calming on her skin and her hair blew from her face. She walked along the edges of the lake, glaring at the ground.

After more than ten minutes kicking stones into the water, Celosia found she was bored and the events of the previous night began to run through her head. She clenched her jaw tightly as she thought of Potter's sharpness. She was frustrated. She felt a tough stubbornness that had developed throughout her life preventing her from going to speak to the young champion, yet her duty required her to continue their friendship- if that's what it was. She gritted her teeth and kicked hard a large stone sitting by the lake and watched as it flew into the air and hit the water surface with great splash, plunging to the bottom.

"Angry are we?" said a voice.

_Speak of the devil…_

Celosia turned to see Potter stood behind her, hands in his pockets and head hanging slightly.

She scowled. "What's it to you?" she grumbled, turning back to the lake and kicking yet another stone.

She pelted her foot into the side of the rock, watching as if flew in an arch in the air and smashed into the water.

"Celosia-" Potter began.

"Don't," she replied sharply. "Don't bother. I can't be doing with your politeness or your sanctimonious apologies. Just go."

"Celosia, please listen-"

"No. I don't want to," she said, turning to face him and squeezing her lips together tightly. "I know what you're going to say. You'll say that you were upset, and that you didn't mean any of it. Well here's my logic: you said it, so you meant it. So this is me leaving you alone as you requested. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some rocks to kick."

She turned back to the water edge and slammed her foot into another stone. Potter was silent. She waited to hear the sound of the stone making contact with the water. It splashed loudly. She heard Potter turn and walk away.

_Ah shit._ She thought.

"Wait!" she shouted, hating herself intensely.

Potter stopped and turned, roughly twenty feet away from her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that," she muttered, glancing down at the ground.

"Well, you said it, so you meant it," Potter bit back, a touch of bitterness to his tone.

"No, I didn't. And I know that you didn't either so I'm sorry."

There was a pause. Celosia bit her lip nervously as she watched various expressions cross Potter's face.

"Look," she reasoned, taking a cautious step towards him, "shall we go somewhere?"

….

They walked along the water edge, ignoring the odd whisper at the sight of them together. As they came to the very edges of the forest, they made their way behind a couple of trees before settling down on a group of rocks, dappled in the sunlight.

"I told Cedric," Harry said.

"You what?" Celosia nearly shouted.

"It was fair!"

"Are you crazy? He's three years older than you? Is that fair?"

"He was the only one who didn't know about the dragons."

"So you decided to totally erase the one advantage that you ever had? Harry, for God's sake…"

They sat in silence for a few seconds, Celosia quietly fuming and Harry gazing down at the ground.

"So what are you going to do then?" she eventually asked.

Harry looked up frowning.

"About the challenge? You need to have a plan."

"Oh, erm…"

Celosia sighed.

"I haven't really had time to think."

"It's on Tuesday," Celosia muttered quietly. Her stomach began to turn at the thought of him losing the challenge, the thought of him not reaching the cup in the last challenge.

"I know! I can't think! My head's spinning. Everyone keeps ordering me about and I have no idea what I want anymore."

"You want to survive the challenge, right?"

Harry nodded.

"Then that's what we're going to make you do. Now think! What advantage could you have against a dragon?"

They sat in silence for a few seconds as they thought. Celosia really needed to speak to Barty right now. They had planned to meet before she saw Harry next. He was going to help her with this…

"It's no use," Harry sighed, "the dragon is a huge fire breathing monster- possibly with a great horned tail- and the ability to fly. I don't stand a chance. All I have is… nothing. One friend who's too busy worrying about when Ron and I are going to make-up, and another who, for the sake of her reputation, won't see me in public and resorts to flying to the top of the castle with me in the dead of night."

Celosia's eye's widened. She ignored the slight insult that Harry had thrown her way and turned to him, a smile forming on her face.

"What? What is it?" Harry asked.

"The dragon. It's a great fire breathing monster, yeah, but it can also do something that you can do just as well! We did it last night!"

Harry frowned.

"Harry, you can fly!"

He paused, his mouth hanging open slightly.

"You can use your broom!"

"Celosia, I'm not allowed my-"

"No" Celosia stood, remarkably proud of her great idea, "but what handy little spell have we been learning in charms?"

A smile gradually spread across Harry's face as he realised what she was saying.

"That's brilliant!" he said, standing and pacing along the edge of the forest. He walked across to where she was standing and wrapped his arms around her. Celosia froze. She gradually brought her hands across to rest on his back. Feeling notably uncomfortable, she decided not to breath. After a few seconds, he released her, a look of embarrassment evident on his features.

"Sorry… I, erm…"

"It's fine!" Celosia said quickly, shifting her weight from on foot to the other. There was a silence that lasted far longer than comfortable. Celosia found herself staring intently at one blade of grass on the ground, scared to raise her eyes for fear of them meeting Harry's.

"So!" she said eventually, "erm… how good are you at the summoning charm?"


End file.
